Ocean Eternal
by Eyes5
Summary: The thoughts, hopes, fears and dreams of Mikau and those that his life revolves around. A story from his innocent childhood to his untimely death on the shores of the Great Bay beach.
1. Let the Zora play

Chapter 1  
  
How I envy the ocean bird  
  
That flies beyond the sea.  
  
Tell me stories that you've heard  
  
And wonders you have seen.  
  
Seagulls, sunrise and sea breeze. And as these three elements of the sea played upon each other, the sun dyed the horizon a spectrum of scarlets. Before long, the reds faded, swallowed by the ocean. Clouds once invisible against the endless velvet black of night appeared, contrasting strongly against the impossibly blue sky. Creatures of the dark retreated into their lairs and left the morning a pristine garden. Only the occational Keese caught too far from it's roost would give hint that night ever occured. The world was waking from slumber. And almost as a wake up call, three far-off notes vibrated against the crashing of waves.  
  
Mikau stopped for a moment and listened to the product of his guitar, savoring the effect the echos had on the morning's atmosphere. A small smile played on his lips. He treasured his music almost more than everything in all the world, it's one thing that was with him no matter where he went. And now that he's got his own guitar, his music can be heard by all other people, not just in his head.  
  
A few years ago, Mikau's parents took him to an Indigo-gos concert at the Carnival of Time. He has been entranced by the beauty and harmony of music ever since. It touched his soul and he fancied himself to have a talent for composing and playing. Whenever he got the spare time, he would make musical toys out of shells or conches, and he treasured and studied every piece of music he could find. A few days ago, he had been able to catch one of the Skullfish that inhabited the deeper waters and make his own guitar. Of course, younger Zora are supposed to stay away from marine life that dangerous. But one member of the Indigo-gos had a guitar made of bones just like that. And that Zora was so cool! He's Mikau's role model.  
  
Mikau sat upon a lone seaweed-stained rock jutting out of the water. Painstakingly, he plucked a few bones on the guitar, the notes coming out hesitantly. He winced when he struck a sour note, and adjusted the bone until the sound came out pure, as far as he could tell. Tuning his instrument was so frustrating, especially since no one ever taught Mikau how to play, let alone make a proper guitar. He gritted his teeth and continued to bend the bone, yet the sound would not come out right. He made a tight-lipped grunt of frustration and was prepared to just snap the bone off the spine when...  
  
"Hey, Mikau!" Another young Zora exploded out of the water just in front of the prospective musician.  
  
"Yo, JAPAS!!" Mikau called to his best friend. He strapped the guitar to his back and jumped into the water to join his friend. Both of them spun in place, slapping the tails at the back of heads together in sort of a Zora version of a high-five.  
  
"Hey, that's a nice toy you've got there," Japas exclaimed. He swam behind Mikau to have a better look at the instrument. "Is that a Skullfish? Tsk, you know you're not supposed to go near any of those." He said, shaking a finger at Mikau.  
  
Mikau snapped at the finger with mock ferocity. "What are you, my mother?" He took the guitar and held it out for his friend to examine. "It's not perfect, though. Not properly tuned."  
  
"Hmm." Japas held the guitar and ran his fingers down all the bones. Then he plucked one bone, the one Mikau was having trouble with, and listened to it's sound. "Aha! Here's the problem!" He dug out a piece of flesh still stuck between the bone and the spine and popped it into his mouth. Then he handed the guitar back to Mikau.  
  
Mikau played a few notes, adjusted the bone again, and listened to the result. "Perfect! Thanks, man!"  
  
Instead of answering, Japas dove into the water and zipped towards Zora Cape. Mikau knew a race when he saw one. He secured his guitar and motored after the speeding Zora. When the two children neared the shore, Mikau leaped up and landed neatly on his feet. Japas, however, mistimed his jump and smashed headlong into the rock. Indignantly, he climbed out of the water, enduring the laughs of his friend. As the two Zora came into the cove, some of the adults who looked at them shook their heads in knowing disapproval.  
  
Anyone who saw Mikau and Japas would have thought that they are a strange pair indeed. After all, Mikau had so much going for him. He comes from a respected family, from the bloodline of Zorian heros. Unlike the majority of Zoras, Mikau's arm fins are long and sharp and can be thrown like lethal weapons. He can jump farther and swim faster than most people. He's also intrested in music, which is a very dignified branch of study.  
  
Japas, however, was considered something of a rebel. Most Zora would have the fins on their head trimmed so it would help them swim faster. But Japas grew his fins so long that it fell over his eyes and gave him a rather unkept look. His mother is one of the Gerudo pirates, for the relations between the races of Zora and Gerudo were friendly at one time. Any female born to a Gerudo would almost always be Gerudo herself, while any males born would be from his father's race. Japas loved his mother and two sisters, but as hostility between the races grew, Japas suddenly lost that part of his family. For a while afterwards, Japas was a mess. That is, until he met Mikau, who taught him the joy of music. And now the two of them are inseperable.  
  
Mikau ran into his room with Japas hot on heels. Mikau grabbed a scroll of seaweed off the shelf and Japas slid out a xylophone that he and Mikau made of shells. Together, the two of them passed the afternoon jamming out tunes on the xylophone and Mikau's new fishbone guitar.  
  
Later, the children were taking a walk around the perimeter of the inner cave, nibbling on deep-fried oyster pastries that Mikau's mother had made. "Hey, Japas?" Mikau said.  
  
"Mmmff?" was Japas's muffled reply, his mouth stuffed with oyster.  
  
"Y'know, this cave has really good acoustics. I mean, if you yell from here, even someone from across the cave can hear you."  
  
"Uh huh. Let's try it." And before Mikau could stop him, Japas cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "MIKAU SMELLS LIKE FISH!!" Japas's voice echoed a few times before fading away.  
  
More than a few heads were turned at the comment. Some of the adolecents that were familiar to Mikau and Japas laughed and called out affirmatives to that statement. Mikau blushed a lovely pruple and dragged a hysterically laughing Japas off to a side corridor.  
  
"You moron! I can't believe you did that!" Mikau punched his friend on the shoulder. Japas couldn't reply at first; he was still chuckling. "As I was saying, before you opened your big mouth, if we were to play a few tunes in the middle of the cave, everyone will be able to hear us."  
  
Japas wiped a tear from his eye. "Why would you want everyone to hear you? Y'know what they're like, they have no appreciation of music. Besides, without my expert guidance, you sound like a Redead."  
  
"I'm sick of being a garage band." Mikau replied, ignoring Japas. "I want the whole world to listen to my music. I mean, there's no point in playing just for ourselves."  
  
Japas rolled his eyes. (Or maybe not. You can't really see them.) "Sure. Then everyone will love you and ask for your autograph and the Indigo-gos will beg you to join them." Japas grabbed his friend by the wrist and pulled him towards Mikau's house.  
  
"Wha...Where are we going?!" Mikau exclaimed, trying to keep up.  
  
"Well, we can't have a concert without instruments!" Japas called without turning around or slowing down.  
  
"What?! we're actually gonna do it?! I wasn't serious, Japas!" They burst into the house and Japas let got of Mikau to grab the xylophone and a few music sheets. Mikau just stood there dumbly.  
  
"Hey, wake up! Grab your guitar already!" Japas shoved the instrument at Mikau and hurried out the door with both hands holding the xylophone and music sheets clamped between his teeth.  
  
Mikau blinked and stumbled after his friend. "Wait up!"  
  
"We should at least rehearse first." Mikau hissed at Japas once he caught up. The two of them had their little concert set up in the middle of the cavern inside Zora Hall. The cavern was immense, and lined with shops and the houses of the rich and famous on the perimeter. At the center of it all, a large pearly shell is positioned as a podium, where the two boys are currently standing. It's like a town square, where people sometimes gather for events and speeches, but is usually open to the public.  
  
"What are you talking about? Haven't we been playing all afternoon?" Japas tucked his hair-like fins behind his ear, which he has a habit of doing when he's annoyed, or excited, or confused, or trying to impress someone. However, they fell right back into their original position.  
  
"No, really. I don't think I'm ready for this!" Mikau moved towards the edge of the shell, but Japas grabbed his arm. Mikau turned around found himself facing Japas, who was smiling slightly, showing off the impressive canines that Zora tended to have.  
  
"Afraid, aren't we, little Guppy?" Japas asked, knowing that Mikau's weakness is his pride. Mikau yanked his arm away and lifted his chin in an almost comical show of defiance. Then he made his way to the center of the shell and took out his guitar. "Yeah! We're in business, Baby!" Japas yelled, and took his place behind the xylophone.  
  
Mikau plucked a few notes. The sound echoed slightly and caught the attention of a few curious Zoras. Mikau tapped his feet so Japas can catch the tempo.  
  
"One and a two..."  
  
The two started with a quick and loud opening, surprising their audience. Then they slowed it down into something more manageable. Japas and Mikau really make a great team; they practice so much together that their timing is always perfect with one another. Curious people began to gather at the edge of the podium, and that crowd only enticed more people to join. Mikau risked a quick glance at his friend on the xlyophone. Japas smiled. Then, at the same time, the two of them started singing.  
  
Shifting aging, ever-changing  
  
Winds are wild and oceans raging  
  
Fierce, daunting, resists all caging  
  
Far offshore a war is waging.  
  
Wind then reduces to a hiss  
  
Seas lower its mightly fist  
  
Laughs and gives the shore a kiss  
  
Returns the weary world to bliss.  
  
Meanwhile seabirds soar and fly  
  
Cross the line of sea and sky  
  
Hails the doubtful truce with cries  
  
And chases after retreating tides.  
  
Their voices died away and soon after, so did the guitar, leaving the xylophone to finish off the song. Even before the last note faded, the audience appauded wildly. A few rupees were even tossed onto the stage. Mikau closed his eyes and released a deep breath he didn't know he was holding. Then he beamed. The boys looked at each other and exchanged nervous, yet hysterically happy expressions. The crowd loved them! They owned the crowd!  
  
Mikau gathered his wits and when the noise died down somewhat, he announced, "Thank you, thank you. That was 'Ocean Blues' written by me, Mikau on the guitar, and my friend Japas, on the xylophone. Stand up, Japas, take a bow!"  
  
The audience erupted in cheers again. Japas jumped up and bowed so rigidly that he looked comical. Then he put out his arm in Mikau's direction. "Mikau!" He said loudly, over the voice of the crowd. Another round of appause occured.  
  
The cheers eventually turned into the murmur of various conversations as people left and headed off to wherever they had to go to. Japas and Mikau quickly gathered up their items and rushed out the back of the podium. Japas dropped a few pages of music and had to pick them up. At the back, a few Zora were waiting for them, laughing, offering their praise and congratulations. "Sorry. Coming through." Mikau said, shouldering his way out of the crowd. Japas couldn't say anything with the music pages clamped between his teeth. The two ran back to Mikau's house, and burst into his room. Mikau placed his guitar on a table and flopped face-down onto his moss bed. Japas slammed the door shut and put his back against it, sliding down until he was in a sitting position.  
  
"AAAUGH! I was so nervous! I can't believe I did that!" Mikau yelled into a wad of moss.  
  
Japas used his tail to wipe his brow. "Goddesses! What a rush! Geeze, I'm still shaking!"  
  
The two of them sat in silence with their own thoughts for a while. Mikau almost fell asleep, but the chime of shells woke him up. He opened an eye in Japas' direction. The other Zora was concentrating on the music sheets spread out in front of him, while one of his hands hovered over the xylophone.  
  
Japas could sense that Mikau was looking at him. He played another few notes. "Hey, if we had changed the key on the third stanza rather than the second, I think that the overall effect of the song could have been improved." Mikau stared increduously at the other Zora. Japas grinned. Mikau smiled. Japas chuckled. Mikau laughed. The exchange grew until both of them were in fits of uncontrollable laughter, releasing all the tension that had built up within them.  
  
Mikau rolled onto the floor. "Y'know, dispite being sooo embarrassed, that was really cool."  
  
Japas tossed his hair/fins back. "YOU were embarrassed?? What about me, I was almost gonna pee myself! Uh, it makes me so dizzy, standing up there in front of so many people."  
  
"Who says that you're more embarrassed than me?! My singing was flat for half the song."  
  
"Oh yeah? I struck the wrong shell once."  
  
"The guitar's not properly oiled!"  
  
"My music sheets were upside down!"  
  
The argument continued until Mikau stood up and crossed his arms. "Fine! You're more embarrassed than me because you're ugly." And at that, Japas got up and lunged at Mikau. The two of them got into a short wrestling match, which ended when they almost rolled onto the xylophone and Japas called a time out.  
  
"Hey," Mikau said when they were resting. "I think the people really like us. We should play again next week or something."  
  
Japas blanched. "You're kidding, right? Augh, I would rather die than go up on stage again!"  
  
"What are you talking about?! It was your idea in the first place!"  
  
"No it wasn't! It was yours!"  
  
"Well, you dragged me up there!"  
  
"It's for your own good, Guppy." And this time, it was Mikau that lunged at Japas.  
  
End of Chapter 1  
  
Thank you for reading this far. This is not my first fanfic, but it's the first one I've posted in a long time. If you've already taken the time to read all this, you might as well leave a review to tell me what you think. After all, a writer's best spur is her reader's praise. Comments, constructive criticism, or even just a "Nice fic." is very welcome. Yeah, I love Zoras almost as much as I love Link.  
  
Oh, if you've read my profile, you would know that I'm more of an artist than a writer. Here's where I prove it. Head over to http://www.geocities.com/eyesfive/OceanEternal.html to see chapter illustrations I've made for my fanfic. Tell me what you think. 


	2. Easy as crabcake

Chapter 2  
  
Can the Zoras come out to play?  
  
The wind is soft and cool today.  
  
We'll duck and swim among the waves  
  
Or explore the endless coral caves.  
  
Nearly six months has passed since Japas and Mikau's first performance on the shell podium. Since then, they have tried to give concerts every other week. After every show, they would swear that they would never go again, but the spotlight was too much of an addiction for these young boys to resist. After a while, one of them would always start craving the stage and drag the other out to accompany him. This biweekly event became quite popular locally. Zoras naturally love music; people would come out with picnic lunches and with their friends to hear the pair play for a while. Mikau and Japas were getting smiles and waves from people they don't know when they walk around, and the Zoras around their age would try to get to know them better. However, most of the youths simply don't have the love of music in their hearts that Mikau and Japas treasure so dearly. They simply like to listen to good music, but not play. Also, those that would have been friends with Mikau, couldn't quite get used to Japas' outward manner. And those that can't be friends with Japas, won't stay friends with Mikau for long.  
  
The boys were in Mikau's room, their usual haunt. Japas was practicing on the fishbone guitar. He has a bad habit of moving in time with the beat. When he's not performing on stage, he would go all out, shaking his head, twisting his torso and moving his feet so that it looked like he's doing some obscure dance rather than playing an instrument. He's also using his voice to imitate instruments that they don't have, such as drums and saxophones. "Bee doo dum, bah bah bah dah, budum chhh!!"  
  
"Argh, would you stop that?! I just want the guitar notes, not your Goddess forsaken ritual!" Mikau said in frustration. He was holding a reed pen, bent over a stack of paper, trying to script a new song.  
  
"Oh, sorry." Japas bent his neck back and played a few notes on the borrowed guitar. He sighed, as if he was savoring the music like one would savor the taste of abalone. "Ahh, that's the stuff! Isn't it just perfect?"  
  
Mikau didn't answer immediatly, he scribbled furiously on the paper. He added the last few strokes with extra vigor and casually tossed the pen on the table. Stretching, he turned to Japas. "This is so great! I mean, this piece would be perfect if only we have another instrument to play the descant. Man, it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it!"  
  
"Y'know, the truth is that I actually feel the xylophone and the guitar don't jive together, know what I mean?" Japas said. He placed the fishbone instrument on a shelf. "The guitar's notes vibrate after they are immediately played, but the xylophone makes a quick trill that doesn't last nearly as long. Together, they just don't flow, you know."  
  
"Hey, I have a thought..." Mikau started.  
  
"I'll write you a card to commoderate the moment." Japas replied without skipping a beat.  
  
Mikau snapped a purple urchin off the wall and threw it at his friend. Said friend caught the animal in his hand, and taking no notice of the spines, cracked it's shell with his bare hands. He bit at the urchin's pale insides while Mikau took a breath in exasperation.  
  
"As I was SAYING," Mikau continued. "I think it's 'bout time you got a new instrument, don't you think? Something that'll blend with my guitar."  
  
Japas nodded, tossing out the urchin remains. "Yeah, I don't like percussion instruments too much. We can't get large sized shells for the xylophone around here, and we made it when we were, what, eight? Nine?"  
  
"So, what instrument do you want?"  
  
"Dunno. Let's shop around."  
  
Mikau grabbed a wallet of rupees, rupees that they made from their concerts, and headed out towards the Zora Hall shopping district. It's a place where stores lined both sides of the 'streets' which are not really streets at all. Instead, the center of the road would cave in like a ditch and collect water that Zoras could swim in since they swim faster than they walk. Sometimes, the underwaterways would have tunnels that lead into even more stores. Coral that jutted out of the rock every once in a while make convenient chairs and the occational crystal waterfall make the shopping district popular with locals and visitors alike.  
  
Japas and Mikau were quite familiar with the shops around there; it's where they like to spend their new source of income. Mikau would often buy parts to soup up his home-made guitar, stubbornly refusing to buy a professionally made one. But he altered his instrument so well, that before long, the guitar sounded just as good as any that can be bought in a store. Japas, however, only bought enough to maintain the xylophone. After all, they made it when they were children. No matter how much they add to it, it's still more a toy than an instrument.  
  
After an hour or so of shop scanning, the boys became more and more frustrated. Everything was either too expensive, or too big, or didn't have the right sound, or, in Japas' case, just not 'cool' enough. They dived into the underwaterway and sped towards a kiosk where they bought a snack. Mikau bought a batch of sweet-and-spicy seaweed while Japas had a whole live lobster to himself.  
  
"You eat like a Like Like. You're gonna get fat." Mikau remarked.  
  
Japas swallowed. "If you want some, all you have to do is ask." He answered sweetly.  
  
"Can I?" Mikau asked hopefully. Japas rolled his eyes and held out the crustacean for his friend to sample. But while he did, Japas took the opportunity to steal a leaf of Mikau's seaweed and slurped it down like a strand of spagettii. The argument that inevitably ensued kept the boys occupied while they made their way out of the cave to get some fresh air.  
  
"Hey, Mikau. Why don't I just make another instrument?" Japas asked. The two of them were sitting on some rocks outside the cave with a view of the endless ocean.  
  
"But you don't know how." Mikau said, absently picking at some algae.  
  
"You can help me!"  
  
"I only know how to make guitars. We don't need another one."  
  
"That's not fair! I also want a guitar. I like string instruments as much as you do."  
  
"Hmm." Mikau looked thoughtful. "Hey, maybe a bass guitar would be a good mix with my fishbone guitar."  
  
Japas jumped up. "That's perfect!" He yelled, startling his friend. "We can add alto and bass parts to all our songs!" His fingers twitched in anticipation.  
  
"Sit down, you loon!" Mikau said, yanking Japas by his tail. "One problem. What will we make this guitar out of this time? We can't use Skullfish, 'cause they don't make a bass sound. I don't have the tools to work with wood..."  
  
"Hey, I remember seeing a bass guitar made from the shell of an Empress Crab at one of the shops."  
  
"Oh yeah." Mikau clicked his tongue. "Refresh my memory. There aren't any bones on a crab, so what do you pluck to make the music?"  
  
"Strings. Strings of intestine, I think."  
  
"Would you know what kind of intestine it is?"  
  
"Um, it tasted like otter gut." Mikau gave him a strange look. "What?! I was hungry!"  
  
"But wait," Mikau said. "Why don't we just buy the bass guitar from the shop?"  
  
Japas shook his head. "It's one of those second-hand stores. The guitar's shell was cracking and some strings were missing. It must be old, 'cause I don't think there's been any crab guitars made for a long time."  
  
After a short pause, Mikau stood up and waded into the water. "What are you waiting for, Japas?" He said. "Empress Crab are rare around here, and the tide's not gonna stay low forever!"  
  
Japas laughed and slapped his friend on the back. The two of them dove into the crystalline waters and began their search for an Empress Crab. They didn't truly expect to find one so soon, but the Goddesses were with them today. Mikau came across one hiding in the sand, snapping at potential food items with its ridiculously long claw.  
  
"Japas!" Mikau called in Xyrian, which is a language of high-pitched trills that the Zoras use when they're underwater. Airside, Xyrian resembles the agony of blades on chalkboards. "I found one!" Japas was almost half a mile away, but Xyrian carries very far in the water. Mikau could see the faint, faraway dot that was his friend getting larger as he approached.  
  
"That's a good Empress." Japas remarked once he was close enough.  
  
Mikau examined it critically from a safe distance. "It seems hungry, which is good. This means that it shed it's skin recently and it's shell is still soft and easy to work with. A good size...do you like the color?"  
  
"Perfect. Absolutely perfect." Japas smiled broadly.  
  
"Alright. Here's the plan. Since you don't have fin blades, I'll go down and distract it. Meanwhile, you charge in with your electric field as often as you can. Don't bite it, we don't want to damage the shell." And with that, the two of them went into action.  
  
Mikau sank to the bottom of the ocean bed, near the crab. Sensing danger, it buried itself in the sand. Mikau crossed his arms, taking careful aim, and launched his blades at the spot in the sand where the Empress should be. It exploded out in a cloud of debris, which blinded Mikau for a moment. But in that moment, the Empress charged at the boy with both claws raised and opened in attack mode. Mikau was defenseless; his blades haven't returned to him yet and he can't use electricity until he reaches a certain swimming speed. Japas dove in close to Mikau and zapped the crab with an electric charge.  
  
"Gyah! Don't do that so close to me!" Mikau yelled, raising his arms to catch the returning blades. Japas laughed and swam away to gain the needed velocity. The hardest part of the catch was over, with the crab out in the open. Now Mikau only had to extend his blades in defence and wait for the Empress to attack him. It couldn't reach Japas, so it pounded at Mikau's shield. And once it forgot about Japas, he would dive in to give the crab a jolt. The surrounding waters tingled with static as Japas put out more and more energy to produce electricity. He was beginning to tire, but the so was the crab. It's eyes clouded over and it's barrage on Mikau weakend as muscles lost their use. With one final zap, the crab exhaled a cloud of bubbles and fell limp to the ocean bottom. Japas also sank to the bottom. He put his hands on his knees and breathed heavily as if he just finished a long race. Mikau ran over to the crab and bit it below the eyes, making sure that it's dead but not damaging any of the precious shell.  
  
"C'mon, let's go home. You need a rest." Mikau said, holding the crab by its claws and slinging it over his soulder.  
  
"Hey hey hey!" Japas cried, rushing over to the other Zora. "Let me carry it! I did most of the work!"  
  
"You're still weak, you'll just slow us down if you carry it." Mikau replied, but shrugged and handed over the prize.  
  
Japas held the shell lovingly in both arms and swam towards Zora Cape. He did slow them down, unable to keep much altitude while swimming with dead weight. Mikau had to swim in front of him to shock any jellyfish and other hostilites. When they got to the cove, Japas painstakenly climbed up the rocks, still holding the crab and refusing any help from Mikau.  
  
"What's up, man?" Mikau asked his best friend, questioning his strange behavior. "Why are you suddenly so possessive?"  
  
Japas looked annoyed. "Hmph. This is gonna be my future instrument, and you treat it so roughly. It's not a sack of clams you can just toss around!" He said self-righteously. He looked down at the dead crab cradled in his arms and his expression melted into one of love and content.  
  
Mikau rolled his eyes. "I only want to help you. I'm not gonna eat the crab or anything."  
  
"Oh yes you are." Japas replied. Mikau blinked in confusion. Japas stopped to pick up some reed sticks which he held in his teeth. "Id ahs teh de ollow."  
  
"Huh??" Mikau was now thoroughly confused. He took the sticks out of his friend's mouth. "What did you say?"  
  
"I said: it has to be hollow! The crab has to be hollow before we make it into a guitar."  
  
"And...what's your point?"  
  
"Dah! Just follow me!" Japas headed for Mikau's room. Once there, he carefully deposited the crab on the floor and used a knife to cut a neat hole in the underbelly. Then using a reed stick, scooped out some of the pale meat and popped it into his mouth. "You want to help me hollow it out?" Japas asked his friend, handing him a reed stick.  
  
Mikau hesitated for only a moment. "Sure!" The two of them dug into the crab flesh, careful to clean the shell and leave it intact. They had to make tiny holes at the joints of the claws in order to get at the meat hidden in there. The Empress was pretty big, so Mikau stored all the leftover meat they couldn't eat in shells and gave them to his mother.  
  
Japas tapped on the hollow shell. It made a low unique sound that was quick and uneven, but that could be fixed once the strings were added. Japas beamed. He could barely keep still.  
  
"This is CRAZY, Man!" He exclaimed. "I can't believe I'm gonna get my own guitar!"  
  
"Chill. Geeze, I've never seen you so excited!" Mikau smiled. Japas' excitement was infectious. "I didn't know you wanted a guitar so much. I would have given you mine."  
  
"No you wouldn't have." But Japas sighed and for a moment, all his happyness seemed to melt away. But it came right back a second later. No words needed to be passed between the two for Mikau to know the reason for the sudden melancholy. He knows what Japas' home life is like. It's not as if he's abused or undernurished. But ever since his family was violently ripped apart, his father seemed to be unaware that his son existed. Japas doesn't have a room to himself or many personal belongings. If he comes home too late sometimes, he would find the door to his house locked and would have to sleep outside or at Mikau's house. Any attempt to talk to his father would be would usually be met with the most primitive responses such as "Yeah." or "Hmph." And if Japas ever yelled or tried something violent, his father would just drag him out of the house and lock the door. It's no wonder a guitar of his very own would seem like a luxury to Japas.  
  
In any case, during the next few weeks, any spare time the two young Zora had would be spent on improving the bass guitar. It took much longer for Mikau to figure out how to modify the Empress into an instrument than his Skullfish. That's partly because a crab guitar has so many pieces which makes it very difficult to complete, and partly because the only reference he has to work from is the old guitar from the second-hand store. And it doesn't help that Mikau and Japas had their respective lessons to go to every day. Careless vacation days were long since over. But little by little, the bass guitar neared completion. And one day, Mikau announced it concert ready.  
  
"Goddesses, I love this!" Japas cried, stroking the taunt strings. Which, by the way, were made of Octorok entrails rather than otter. The guitar was actually a bit big for him, but Japas could still grow so that the instrument would fit comfortably in his arms. During the fifteen days it took to make it, Japas would rarely let the Empress out of his sights, strapping it to his back and taking it home when the day ended. Still, his love for the instrument didn't diminish a bit during this time.  
  
Japas fingered the melody for an old teaching song that nearly every soul in the world learned when they were children. Mikau caught the beat and played descant.  
  
"Let's do it."  
  
Goddess of Power, her name is Din Created the world which we live in. Goddess of Wisdom, Farore's her name Created law so we're treated the same. Goddess of Courage, Nayru the Blue Created life including me and you.  
  
Mikau played the ending sequence, but Japas wouldn't take the hint and kept playing. Mikau tried to follow whatever obscure melody his friend was making up, but eventually gave up. He waited for Japas to stop playing. He waited, read a book, ate some candy, left the room to answer the call of nature, came back, and Japas was still playing. Mikau chuckled; he wanted to see how long Japas could last. And hours later, when the tuning was becoming sour, Japas stopped.  
  
"Oh, sear the shell and spear the shark!" said Japas in a round oath as he realized that the guitar's sound is sour. "The tuning's off! Mikau!" He cried, his fins and tail flapping in alarm.  
  
"Chill. Your fins are gonna fly right off. What do you expect? Strings can only be plucked a number of times before they get loose." Mikau examined the guitar strings and his eyes grew wide. "Holy Mother of Pearl! There's blood on the strings! Japas, you've been playing so much that your fingers are bleeding!"  
  
"Huh?" Japas stared blankly at his hands, which were indeed oozing blood from the fingertips. "Aaah!" He cried, almost as if by looking at the injury, pain was registered.  
  
"Goddess, you are such an idiot!" Mikau put the bass guitar down and led his friend to the salt water bath to wash off the blood. Japas winced. The salt water stung like fire but helps heal wounds faster. Then Mikau wrapped the fingers in seaweed and dipped them in red potion to help them heal.  
  
So, Japas couldn't play his new guitar for a few days now. He still carried it with him everywhere, but all he could manage on it now were single broken notes instead of the complex tunes he used to dish out. That hurt him more than his injured hand.  
  
But when Japas' hand healed, he and Mikau returned to the spotlight, and their awaiting fans. Like how water and wind produce waves, the two guitars produce music; music laced with joy, sadness, wonder and beauty, depending on which song they played. And with each song completed, the audience would voice their approval. Mikau smiled at Japas. Their love of music seemed to be made for each other. And because of that, nothing can ever drive them apart.  
  
End of Chapter 2  
  
Thank you again, all my adoring fans, for reading this far. In this story, I'm attempting to explain some of the more detailed parts of the Zora world that none of the Zelda games really go into. Like their social habits, why they look so different than each other, what they eat, and how they interact with other races. I'm hoping that I can update frequently, but life tends to get in the way. Remember, the amount I write is directly proportional to the amount and quality of reviews recieved. 


	3. Where are you?

Chapter 3  
  
Great Bay is my native home  
  
No other can take its place.  
  
No beach is better  
  
No water is wetter  
  
For the Zora race.  
  
It was a beautiful day in Termina. The winds are balmy and the fluffy clouds made perfect the seascape. Zora Hall was nearly empty today. Every Zora felt the need to escape the cramped caves and feel the salt water rush against their skin. But some Zoras were unable to retreat to the ocean, like Mikau. He, and a couple dozen others, couldn't go outside until they've finished their lessons. The young Zora stretched and wondered what Japas was doing. Mikau used to have this hour free of lessons, but there was a sudden change in his schedule. Japas would have to entertain himself during this time from now on.  
  
The lesson is about the different Zora cultures. It's one of Mikau's favorite lessons, especially since he's never been to other parts of the world before. It's amazing how different people can be even though they come from the same race. Mikau learned that Zoras live mainly in three parts of the world: Zora Domian in Hyrule, Zora Village in Labrynna, and Zora Hall in Termina. Zora Domain is a metropolis, the center of Zora society, like all places in Hyrule are. After all, the Goddesses created Hyrule first. Zora Village is a place for scholars, idealists and inventors. Finally, our own Zora Hall is known for it's arts and music. Mikau smiled inwardly. How true, how true.  
  
The professor went on about the differences in Zoras. Those that live in the ocean often develop rougher skins than those that live in rivers and lakes. Because of that, ocean-dwelling Zoras tend to wear clothes, especially females.  
  
One smart-alek put up his hand. "Does that mean the girls in Zora Domain are all naked?"  
  
The teacher rolled his eyes. "Yes, though that's a blunt way of putting it." The boys snickered while the girls looked at each other in mild disbelief. The teacher rapped his pen against the table for silence. "Now, now. Don't be so immature about it. Clothes mean extra friction on a Zora's body, which reduces swimming speed. Also, it's difficult to make clothes for Zoras because our body sizes and shapes vary so greatly."  
  
Then the professor continued. Zoras can be catagorized into two main types: Sleek and Bottom-feeder. Sleek Zoras are taller, faster, stronger and thinner. They look like Hylians with blue skin and extra fins and tail in certain places. Bottom-feeder types are larger, shorter and have sharper minds. They tend to secure positions in politics, business and teaching. King Zora of Zora Domain and King Zora of Zora Village are both Bottom- feeder. The professor himself is a Bottom-feeder.  
  
Mikau put up his hand. "What about Zorian Heros?"  
  
The teacher sighed. "Zorian Heros used to be a type of their own. Shaped more like sharks than anything else, they were the warriors of the Zora race. They helped win independance for the Zoras when all the races were at war, so many centuries ago. But because of that, many did not survive." The teacher walked to Mikau. "Show everyone your arm blades, Mikau."  
  
Mikau stood up and crossed his arms in front of his face. He contracted his muscles and extended his arm blades to twice their normal size. They glistened in the light and recieved many gasps of awe among the students.  
  
"As you can see," The professor went on. "Mikau has the blood of Zorian Heros. The fins on his arm are sharp and strong and can be shot out as long-distance weapons...Don't shoot them out now, Mikau, you'll break something!" Mikau looked disappointed. "Anyways, they were used more for attacking and defending than swimming. But don't let that fool you; Zorian Heros can swim faster than other Zoras. Look at Mikau's tail. It's not much of a tail, is it." Some of the children chuckled, making Mikau blush in embarressment. "Don't laugh just yet. The tail on the back of his head is more of a flexible dorsal fin than a tail. It's used to cut through the water. But how does he manuver without a tail, you ask? Well, Zorian Heros use their arm blades. They spin to change direction rather than flapping their tails like we do. It's a lot faster and more efficient. Sit down Mikau." Mikau sat down, but not without first smirking at those that laughed at him before.  
  
The professor returned to the front of the room. "It's quite a pity now, because Zorian Heros are a dying breed. There just isn't enough of them to keep the population up. In fact, Mikau and his mother are perhaps the last ones around." Many glances were aimed in Mikau's direction, but he ignored them. He had been long used to the fact that Zorian Heros are slowly fading away. Well, now the teacher started talking about the effects certain bivalves have on a Zora's digestive system. Mikau yawned. What could Japas be doing right now?  
  
Japas was at Mikau's house, knocking rapidly on the door. "Mikau! Are you there?" He knocked a few more times and took a few steps back. No answer. Strange that no one would be at Mikau's house. The schedule for Mikau's lessons must have changed and Japas had no way of knowing when his friend would be home. Dejected, Japas wandered away and wondered how he should spend the afternoon.  
  
He rotated his shoulder while walking, shifting his ever-present guitar into a more comfortable position. It had been hard to get used to it's extra weight on his back, and it has slowed him down while swimming and running. But none of that bothered Japas much. The guitar's his pride, his baby. And it had been the subject of much discussion among his peers at his lessons. After all, nobody owns an Empress crab guitar these days anymore.  
  
Japas went to the rocky beach at Zora Cape, where he and Mikau would often look at the scenery. He played a few tunes on the guitar, but then sighed and returned it to his back. No, it's not the same without Mikau's fishbone guitar to accompany him. Mikau is Japas' best and perhaps one of the only friends he has, but that is more than enough. Japas couldn't imagine life without him.  
  
The afternoon sun was drying out Japas' fins, making them itch. He shook them irritably and dove into the water. Swimming around seemed to cool Japas' anxious mind, but he dared not dive in and out like he used to. Doing that too much would increase the wear and tear on the guitar. He surfaced and took a breath in through his lungs rather than his gills. Suddenly, another Zora broke the water beside him.  
  
"Hello, Japas."  
  
"Oh, it's you." The 'you' Japas was referring to is another young Zora named Iffane. He is also an aspiring musician, but lacked the skill, talent and love for music that seperated Mikau and Japas from the rest of the population. Once Japas got his own guitar, Iffane offered to play xlyophone with them in the concerts, but Mikau and Japas would make up excuses each time. Eventually, he took the hint, but no offence. He's a reasonable guy, after all.  
  
"Mikau's not with you today?" Iffane asked, his head slightly cocked. "What happened, did you two get into a fight?"  
  
"No." Japas shot him a dirty look. Iffane backed off slightly, feeling a bit intimidated. Japas used to have a reputation for bullying and the tail sprouting out the back of his head is quite a bit larger than those belonging to others of his age.  
  
"I didn't mean anything! I'm just saying how it's so weird that Mikau's not here with you. Don't think I've ever seen it before."  
  
"Yeah, I'm weirded out by it too." Japas ran his fingers through is hair/fins. "Goddess, I'm so bored!"  
  
Iffane suddenly snapped his fingers. "Hey, why don't you play with us?" Two other Zora popped out of the ocean. "We can't play Sand Flea without at least four people!"  
  
Japas flicked his tail. "I dunno. Carrying this guitar's gonna slow me down."  
  
"Duh, put it away for now!" One of the others said.  
  
"No!" Japas put a protective tail over his instrument. The others chuckled. Japas had been getting into a lot of conflicts with children and adult alike over his insistance on carrying his guitar everywhere.  
  
"Then why don't you play a song for us?" Iffane suggested.  
  
"Yeah! Play 'Dance of the Hylian Horses'!"  
  
"No, play 'Frogfucius' Suit #18'!"  
  
"I think I'll play 'Beady Tree'. Everyone loves that." Japas said as he swam towards Zora Cape. Strangely, there seems to be two islands near the Cape rather than one...Wait, it's just a large turtle parked in front of the Cape. Turtles are used by the Zoras to travel long distances and carry heavy objects. The turtle handler looked at the antics of the four children from atop his perch on the turtle's shell.  
  
Japas sat on a rock while his small audience remained in the water. Japas sighed, removing the guitar from his back-strap. He hoped that Mikau won't be mad at him for giving this solo concert. Japas played a scale and took a moment to tune the guitar. Then he played the opening for 'Beady Tree'. It's a cute little song without words, but with hums and whistles and claps, which the audience provided. Interactive songs are more fun for the audience.  
  
When the song was over, everyone, including the turtle handler, applauded wildly. Japas tossed his hair/fins back and gave an embarrassed smile. They asked for more, but Japas just isn't in the mood for too much music today. The hot sun tired him out so he decided to go home to sleep away the afternoon.  
  
Japas doesn't like to return home. It's located in the hidden allyways of Zora Hall, where no one cleans the algea and shadows grow large and frequent. The house is small, only four rooms, and there's rarely any food availible. Japas would have to catch his own meals, or leech them off Mikau. He hates taking other people's food, but Mikau usually offers, rather than waiting for Japas to ask for some. The only reason Japas comes home is to sleep.  
  
When Japas opened the door to his house, he was surprised to find all the furniture gone. The first thought that ran through his mind was BURGLARS!! but he heard a familiar calm splashing in the ankle-deep waters that flooded every room in his small house. His father must be home, then. Japas cautiously poked his head into the room his father's in, finding him shutting the lid on a crate.  
  
"Hey, what's going on? Where's all the furniture?" Japas asked, hoping to get an answer.  
  
"We're moving." His father replied without looking up.  
  
"Moving...?!" Japas' face blanched. "But...why?" His father didn't answer, but continued packing. Japas stood there dumbly, with his mouth gaping open like a fish. Finally, he grabbed his father by the tail. "Why didn't you tell me! I don't want to go!" His voice rose desperately.  
  
Japas' father jerked his tail out of his son's grip. "We're moving." He repeated.  
  
"No...NO!! I DON'T WANT TO GO!!" Japas suddelnly screamed at the top of his lungs. "I HATE YOU! HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME?!?" He started to kick open crates and broke chuncks of coral off the walls. Then he yelled in a quieter voice, "I hate you! You don't even care about me! Mom, Pyrias and Amberize cared about me, and they're not even Zorian! How could you?! You never even talk to your own..." His father grabbed him by the arm, cutting him off. Japas winced in pain, but turned and bit hard on the wrist holding him, drawing blood. His father released him, then snapped his tail in Japas' face.  
  
The tail hit Japas like a ton of bricks; the force of it throwing him against the wall, backside first. The impact drove the spines of Japas' guitar deeply into his flesh. One spine was broken off completely. Japas' eyes widened, his face scrunched up and his mouth opened in a silent scream of agony. Then he sank into the water, unconsious.  
  
A while later, Japas' father returned to find his son still floating in the pink-stained water. He stared blankly at Japas, then went to pick him up. Depositing him on one of the crates, Japas' father carefully removed the crab guitar from Japas' back. Blood flowed out of wounds that were beginning to close around the spines. The older Zora used bandages of seaweed on the torn flesh and applied pressure to help stop the bleeding. Then he returned to his packing.  
  
Around this time, Mikau leaped out of the underwaterway and landed right in front of the door to his house. He entered his room and deposited his books on a shelf. Mikau just returned home from his lessons. He doesn't hate lessons like some Zora, nor does he love them, it just depends on what his mood was that day, and what lesson it is. But today, Mikau was a bit worried because he forgot to tell Japas that his schedule had changed. He knows that his friend will be looking for him.  
  
Mikau grabbed a bite to eat in the kitchen and tuned his guitar while waiting for Japas to arrive. No such luck. After an hour or so, Mikau went out to the shopping district and scoured the lanes and underwaterways for his friend. Mikau looked everywhere in the cove, then went outside. It's getting dark. Maybe Japas was out in the ocean catching iridescent fish, which come out during dawn and dusk. Many other Zora were out there chasing after the silvery streaks, which were useful if one is going to be in the water after dark.  
  
"Japas!!" Mikau yelled in Xyrian. Nobody stopped. Wait, one Zora was drawing nearer to Mikau. "Japas?" Mikau asked hopefully.  
  
"Nope." The Zora replied.  
  
"Oh. Hello, Iffane." Mikau sighed.  
  
"Mikau! You don't look very happy to see me!" Iffane joked. He's closer to Mikau than he is to Japas, since he and Mikau take many of the same lessons together.  
  
"Goddesses, I've been looking for Japas all day! Would you by any chance know where he is?"  
  
"Um, I saw him this afternoon. I think he might have gone home...?" Iffane never had a chance to finish since Mikau was already motoring back towards the cove. Mikau never thought to check Japas' house, since he's only there to sleep. Japas rarely sleeps during the day; he has too much energy for that. But a feeling of anxiousness grew in Mikau as he neared Japas' house. He could sense something's terribly wrong.  
  
Mikau knocked nervously on the door. When no one answered, he tried the handle and found it unlocked, to his surprise. And to his greater surprise, he realized that the interior of the house is empty. "Din. Farore. Nayru." Mikau whispered as he walked, as if in trance, from room to room, finding each empty. Circling the house five times, he finally noticed a section of slightly discolored water. He sniffed. Then poked a finger into the water and tasted it. Blood! What had happened here?! A red-orange object in the water caught Mikau's attention. Picking it up, he realized that it's a spine broken off the crab guitar. It has to be. Mikau knew every inch of the guitar like the back of his hand; he contributed a vast amount of time in the creation of the instrument. Mikau took a breath. Someting has happened to Japas.  
  
Mikau ran over to the nearest house and knocked feverishly on the door. "Excuse me!" He asked the lady that opened the door. "Do you know what happened to Mr. Sycrune, the man that lives next door to you?" Sycrune is Japas and his father's last name.  
  
"Oh! You're one of the boys that play the guitar! I do love your music." The lady said warmly. Mikau managed a smile, but his lower lip was trembling. "Mr. Sycrune moved away today, I think. There were a lot of crates at the back of the house and a turtle was parked outside the Cape. Is that helpful?"  
  
"Yes, but would you know where they moved to?"  
  
"Um, well, by the looks of it, they moved to another country. Perhaps...Labrynna?"  
  
"Labrynna!" Mikau took a breath. "Thank you so much. Sorry for taking up your time..."  
  
"Get home safely." The lady smiled and returned to her house.  
  
Mikau swam home as fast as his fins would carry him. And where the underwaterways ended, making way for streets, the boy ran, stumbling and gasping. He tasted salt on his lips, but didn't know whether they were from the ocean water or from his tears. Mikau burst into his room, slamming the door, and fell on his bed. At first, came disbelief. It was too sudden, too much! Mikau didn't have a moment to prepare or even think of what life would be like without his best friend. Then he was engulfed by overwheming sadness as he relived every memory of Japas and him together. The time that they met, the time when Mikau was paralyzed by a jellyfish and Japas had to drag him ashore, and the most recent memory of the two of them making the Empress crab bass guitar.  
  
Nothing would ever be the same again, without Japas. Great convulsing sobs shook Mikau's tiny body as he cried, "Japas! Japas!" Anything else he tried to say would sound too much like moans and whimpers to be understood. Mikau couldn't control this flood of emotion that plagued him. He had to take his breath in desperate gasps.  
  
Soon, Mikau exhausted himself and just laid inert on his bed, letting tears flow freely down his cheeks. Everything in his room reminded him of Japas. The xylophone, numbers of conch horns and shell castanets that the two of them had made. Music sheets splayed all over the room, none of them written without Japas' help. Pictures and simple crafts made by them adorned the walls. The fishbone guitar stared at Mikau with it's hollow eyes, asking where it's partner, the crab guitar, had disappeared to. Eventually, Mikau's eyes closed, his breathing evened out and he fell into a fitful sleep borne of exhaustion.  
  
End of Chapter 3  
  
Phew, the beginning of this chapter was too much of a social studies lesson. I hope everyone stayed awake. Oh, I would like to pose a question for all you readers out there: What was it that made you read my fanfic, out of the thousands of fics out there? Was it because you like Zoras? Or were you attracted by the summary? Or do you simply try to read every Zelda fanfic there is? Please answer on the review form. 


	4. Guppy among sharks

Chapter 4  
  
Do you have a name, my friend.  
  
Prove to me that you exist.  
  
Your fleeting image soon may end  
  
Retreated into shrouded mist.  
  
Japas has been gone for a while now. The days that passed felt like a waking dream. Mikau would eat, sit through his lessons, but rarely touched his guitar. Of course, he couldn't give concerts anymore, and those that tried to question him about it were met with a zombie-like stare. There were dark blue veins in Mikau's eyes, which were rimmed purple. He couldn't sleep, and if he did, it was because he cried himself to exhaustion. Mikau's parents were worried about him, but felt that he had to accept this loss as just another part of life. Surely he would recover once he realized that.  
  
One windy morning, there was an unexpected knock upon the door of Mikau's house. Mikau's mother went to open the door. "Mr. Sycrune! What a surprise it is to see you!" It is indeed Japas' father. He bowed deeply, but did not make eye contact.  
  
"Good morning, Mrs. Lorecrest." He said in his usual abrupt manner. Mikau's family's last name is Lorecrest.  
  
"Why, I thought you had moved to Labrynna, Mr. Sycrune. Please come in, it must have been a long journey." She ushered him into the living room. Mr. Lorecrest also came into the room and shut all the doors while his wife prepared some refreshments. The three adults sat down on the coral chairs situated around the space. Mikau's parents waited for Mr. Sycrune to explain his appearance here.  
  
Mr. Sycrune took a breath. "I'm looking for Japas. He's missing." Mikau's parents exchanged shocked glances. "A few days after we arrived at Labrynna, Japas suddenly disappeared. I think he ran away. Some of his belongings and food were missing. Three thousand rupees were also taken. I thought he might have come here."  
  
Mr. Lorecrest shook his head. "I haven't heard any word about him. And Mikau hasn't been able to get a good night's sleep since Japas moved away."  
  
"I'm sorry." Japas' father said, but his eyes would still not meet any of their's.  
  
Mrs. Lorecrest gave him a thin-lipped smile, trying to be polite. She is aware of how Mr. Sycrune neglegts his son, and can't really blame Japas for running away. How many times did she have to endure the discontent of her own son who in turn, was worried for Japas. She wondered why Mr. Sycrune was even going through all this trouble to look for him.  
  
"Wait a moment!" Mr. Lorecrest suddenly said. "Did you check with the turtle handlers? If Japas came back here, he would have to ride a turtle."  
  
Mr. Sycrune shook his head. "I asked them, but they haven't taken any passengers of that description."  
  
"Then...could Japas have tried to swim here?! But it takes over three days for an adult Zora to swim non-stop from Labrynna to Termina!"  
  
"That's right!" Mrs. Lorecrest gasped. "The oceans have also been unusually violent these days! Japas could easily get lost..."  
  
"There are many large pockets of deep waters between the two countries." Mr. Lorecrest added. Deep waters are home to sharks, sea snakes and host of other predators. A Zora that enters the deep waters cannot sink to the bottom to rest unless he never wants to surface again.  
  
"I know, I know!" Japas' father covered his face with his hands. "I have looked everywhere for him! Please, if you find him, tell me. Please..." He took his hands away and was surprised to find them damp.  
  
Finally, Mr. Sycrune left to search elsewhere. Mikau's parents closed the door and breathed a collective sigh of relief. "Thank the Goddesses that Mikau is still asleep! He doesn't have to hear any of this." But Mikau isn't asleep. And he did hear the conversation, almost all of it. As soon as he heard Japas' name, he had been hiding behind corners and doors, catching every word the adults said.  
  
Mikau quietly snuck back into his room. He sat on the bed for a while, fingering a piece of crab spine that hung on a cord around his neck. "I didn't even get to say goodbye." Mikau stared ahead, his eyes unfocused. The boy blinked and realized that he had been staring at his fishbone guitar the whole time. The oil on it was turning green with neglect. Mikau gingerly picked it up and used a sponge to clean the old oil off and applied a new layer of lubricant. The guitar returned to it's mustard yellow color and sparkled slightly with the new layer of oil.  
  
The boy put the guitar back on it's shelf and wandered outside, with no particular destiniation in mind. He found himself on Zora Cape, staring northward. "Where are you, Japas?" He asked the ocean. It answered, but in murmuring whispers that Mikau couldn't quite hear. The seagulls cried out as well, but Mikau doesn't understand their language. The wind pushed the young Zora in one direction, but a moment later, pulled him in another. Mikau stood there for a while longer and gathered his courage. Then he made his decision. He leaped into the sea and swam north.  
  
It took Mikau a good part of an hour to reach his first stop: Great Bay Temple. The temple is inaccessible during certain times of the year, due to rising tides and seasonal murky waters. But today, Mikau was able to reach it with little difficulty. The interior of the temple is a maze of turbines, gears and machinery. It probably served some other purpose in the past, but now such technologies were lost to the people. Zoras now use it as a place for prayer and worship. The sheer size of the temple made Mikau feel very small and insignificant.  
  
Mikau had visited Great Bay Temple with his family before, when his uncle had died. Mikau didn't remember much of the sorrow and the crying, but he remembered how his mother had said that the temple had the power to control the sea. The tide had stayed low that entire day, which is very unusual. Mikau felt sure that the temple's power had changed the ocean patterns so that everyone could get home safely.  
  
Mikau surfaced quietly, without making so much as a ripple on the water surface. Using an old flint he found, Mikau lit the four torches in the temple enterance. An eerie light lit up all but the most isoated corners of the room. The Zora positioned himself at the center of the four torches, and started to pray. He prayed that he and Japas could meet up again. Or at least recieve some reassurance that Japas is still alive. Most of all he prayed for his best friend's happiness and safety, wherever he could be. Mikau wondered if the Goddesses could hear him. Lastly, he prayed that he would come home alive from what he is about to do.  
  
Now Mikau headed for his second destination, which is further northward. Sea beds receded as the speeding Zora swam deeper into unfamiliar territory. When he broke the surface of the water, at least five pairs of eyes immediately trained upon him, as well as a number of weapons. Mikau walked onto the rocky shore with his hands raised to show he ment no harm. The people watching him relaxed slightly when they saw that he's unarmed, alone, and only a boy. Mikau's heart was beating fast; this is the first time he's been this close to the Gerudo Fortress.  
  
A rock wall suddenly opened in front of Mikau, out of which jumped a Gerudo pirate. She pointed a scimitar at the Zora's neck and smiled sweetly. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tear out your throat and toss your bloody, dismembered carcass into the ocean." She said in a voice like honey.  
  
Mikau paled and almost lost his resolve. But he held his chin high and said, "Please, I don't mean any harm. I came here out of my own free will without the knowledge of my fellow Zoras. I wish to speak to Amberize. There's something I need to ask her." Amberize is Japas' older sister, if Mikau remembered correctly. Japas has a younger sister as well, Pyrias, but she would only be ten years old around now.  
  
"Aren't you a bit too young for girls, Zora?" Mikau blushed furiously. The female laughed and lowered her blade. But before Mikau could collapse in relief, another Gerudo appeared behind him, caught his tail and one arm, tied them together, grabbed the other arm and bound that as well. All before Mikau could even gasp. "C'mon, you can walk, can't you?" The pirate pushed Mikau ahead.  
  
The two Gerudos led him to the inner chambers of the fortress of females. It is a place built for military efficiency. Watchtowers and arrow slots were placed so that every inch of the fortress could be watched. The living quarters often doubled as storage rooms for stolen goods. Mikau took note of every crevace, tunnel and corner he could hide himself in if the need arose. He also memorized the layout of the area the best he could so he wouldn't get lost. Although a voice in the back of his mind told him that escaping these lethal warriors would be very, very unlikely.  
  
These Gerudo pirates were certainly not what Mikau expected out of a group of females, dispite all that he's heard about them. His experience with the opposite sex has been limited to the young Zora females which the boys would avoid at all costs. Except, of course, to throw the occational sea crawler at. But these women... they are nothing like fragile Zora girls that Mikau was so used to. The Gerudos are cold and relentless if they want to be. Their brown skin betrayed the fact that they descended from desert dwellers, who had a reputation of their own. But this group of females also have Zora ancestors, so they took to the sea. Mikau noticed that all of them had pointed noses that sat quite elegantly on their faces, and remembered how Japas has just such a nose but stuck out of him like a peg.  
  
The society of these women seemed to be complex and completely without flaw. Mikau guessed that there is a hierarchy system; the number of jewels and color of clothes and lipstick represent the rank each one held. Or something like that, Mikau couldn't tell simply by looking at them. Each Gerudo knew her own role. They would seem relaxed, but Mikau noticed that when he passed by, fingers would stroke weapons and weight would be shifted to the balls of the feet.  
  
"So..." Mikau said nervously, unable to bear the silence. "The weather has been quite windy recently, hm?" Goddess, that sounded so lame!  
  
"Oh yes." One of the Gerudos replied. "It's nice, just the way we like it. Larger ships can't manuver in the wind, which makes them easier for smaller ships to board. Tell me Zora," She turned to face him. "Just what is it like in Zora Hall? Is it true that you still refuse to cook your food?"  
  
"Huh? Well, we do eat some cooked foods. Bread and cakes can't be made without cooking. Some things, like cucco eggs, simply taste nicer when cooked." Mikau felt slightly better. He likes to talk when he's nervous.  
  
The Gerudo laughed. "You eat eggs now? That's an improvement. I heard that you never used to touch what those 'land people' eat."  
  
"Will you shut up? Don't talk to him." The other female snapped at her comrade. "Really, it does nobody good when you get attached to a prisoner!"  
  
"Excuse me?? I am NOT getting 'attached' to him!...Although he is rather cute." The Gerudo looked down at Mikau with one eyebrow raised suggestively. The two of them seemed to be around the same age, but she was a good head taller than the Zora. Mikau smiled nervously at her and tried to look his 'cutest'. "Besides," She continued. "It doesn't matter if I tell him anything important. We can just kill him afterwards." Mikau's eyes grew huge. Maybe starting a conversation wasn't the best of ideas.  
  
"Amberize!" One of the pirates suddenly called out. A Gerudo looked up from her guard duty.  
  
"What?" Amberize answered. When they came nearer, Mikau could see that her eyes were indeed amber. She wore the traditional Gerudo outfit which consisted of baggy pants decorated with symbols and a tight-fitting, revealing top. Amberize looked like any other Gerudo, except Mikau could see that when she spoke, Zorian canines were visible between her lips. Also, the way she walked and the way her hair bounced like a tail reminded Mikau painfully of Japas.  
  
"This Zora wants to talk to you." One of the guards pushed Mikau forward. Amberize crossed her arms, looking unimpressed.  
  
Mikau cleared his throat. "My name is Mikau. And if I'm not mistaken, you are Japas' older sister..." At the mention of Japas, Amberize's eye twitched and she unshealthed a dagger. Mikau cringed and squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again, he realized that his arms and tail could move freely again. Amberize had cut him free.  
  
"Continue, Zora. Before I lose my patience." She shook her daggar at him like one would shake a finger.  
  
"I have been Japas' friend for a long time, until recently, his father took Japas away with him to Labrynna. But he ran away... I don't know where he is, but I think he might have come back to Termina."  
  
"He wouldn't have tried to come back here, would he?!" Amberize gasped. "Labrynna is so far away!" Her face was a mask of shock and concern, but she quickly recomposed herself. The two other Gerudo were watching. "What does this have to do with me?" She asked in a bored tone, examining her her nails.  
  
"I thought...he might have come here. His father wouldn't have been able to find him here, and he misses you..." Mikau waited for her reaction.  
  
The other two Gerudo were also watching Amberize closely. She didn't display any emotion, but tucked her bangs behind her ear, a motion identical to her brother's. "Look, kid. There hasn't been any Zoras within three leagues of this fortress for months, other than you. I haven't seen Japas. I haven't seen him in over four years." Then to the guards, "Throw him outside."  
  
"Are you sure?" One of them asked. "I was hoping to kill him." She nearly pouted when she said this. Mikau gaped at her with disbelief. Gerudos are every bit as terrifying as people say they are!  
  
Amberize looked at Mikau with an unreadable expression. "Nah. Heck, this kid's got guts to come this far. A waste of a rare male, if you ask me. Let him grow into something we can really sink our teeth into." She snapped her teeth for extra effect. The other pirates laughed as they dragged the Zora away. Mikau didn't find that the least bit funny, but at least he got away with his life.  
  
"Oh, what was your name again? Mikau?" Amberize called out. "Don't ever come back here again. And that's not a request." The Zora gulped. That's a promise he's more than glad to keep!  
  
Mikau was dumped unceremoniously into the sea, where he made a big splash. He swam a little distance away but surfaced again to look back at the fortress once he felt safe. None of the Gerudos paid him any attention. Then Mikau dived beneath the water and put as many miles as he could between him and the fortress of females.  
  
Amberize and Pyrias watched the silhouette that was Mikau shrink into a dot and eventually disappear. Mikau's visit had reawakened memories of Japas in both of them, which ached like a reopened wound. Long after he had gone, Amberize still held her little sister tightly, stroking her hair while staring out over the ocean. Pyrias didn't look at the sea, but had her eyes tightly closed, fighting against the tears that wouldn't stop flowing.  
  
End of Chapter 4  
  
Oh, there's something I forgot to mention. The only instrument I've ever played properly was the piano. So forgive me if I get any of the technicalities of other instruments incorrect. 


	5. Freedom, friends, and food

Chapter 5  
  
The west wind is my next of kin  
  
The ocean is my lover.  
  
Her cool carress upon my skin  
  
Makes me want no other.  
  
"Name?"  
  
"Mikau. Mikau Lorecrest."  
  
"City of orgin?"  
  
"Zora Hall, Termina."  
  
"What faculty are you registered in?"  
  
"Music faculty."  
  
"Ah. Is that all your luggage? You can handle all that by yourself, can't you?"  
  
"Yes, thank you."  
  
"All right, then. Your room is on the seventh floor, number 43. Tours of the dorm and main building will start tomorrow, at 10:00 am and every hour afterwards until 9:00 in the evening."  
  
Mikau thanked the supervisor again and sped off towards his new home for the next four years. University. Mikau shivered at the thought, partly from anxiety, partly from excitement. This is the first time he's left home! He is filled with a sense of independence that every child would feel at his first taste of freedom.  
  
Mikau shot out of the water. "YEEAHH!!!" He cried as he crashed back down into the waves, surprising the few Zora nearby. Mikau wondered if he was acting 'weird' again. His sunny mood was slightly dampened by the thought. Back in the days before Japas disappeared, people would never say that Mikau was unusual, because Japas' behavior would make his friend seem relatively normal. But afterwards, Mikau became increasingly aware of how his actions differed from what was considered conventional. His friends told him so. Of course, those friends would come and go like the tide. Mikau still ached for his long lost companion, but that ache is now a dull throb which would only re-emerge when Mikau thought of it. He still wears the broken crab spine on his neck as a reminder.  
  
But nothing would ruin this day for Mikau! It's a bit of a distance to the male dormitories, and other Zoras were headed in that direction as well. The Bottom-feeders swam lazily near the ocean floor, Zoras with heavy luggage swam aside their turtles near the surface, while Sleek Zoras, including Mikau, occupied the space in between. The whole scene looked like a mass pilgrimage.  
  
Another Sleek zipped in front of Mikau, disturbing the water currents. Mikau turned slightly to see the intruder, and noticed that he also had a Skullfish guitar strapped to his back. He smiled at Mikau, showing his teeth almost in a sneer and sliced ahead in a burst of speed. Mikau grinned. He knew a race when he saw one!  
  
The two Zoras twisted and weaved in the crystalline waters. Mikau almost felt sorry for his rival. That other guy may have a lighter weight to carry and a head start, but he's not a Zorian Hero. Using his arm blades, Mikau sliced through ocean currents, taking full advantage of those pushing him in the right direction, parting between ones that weren't favorable. His opponent watched helplessly as Mikau spun in front of him, causing turbulence in the water and producing bubbles to cause further distrubance.  
  
Mikau looked over his shoulder once he had swam a fair distance. His opponent was swimming weakly at a steady speed, indicating defeat. Mikau doubled back and kept pace beside his rival.  
  
"By Din! You're one heck of a swimmer! Name's Cem." The Zora said.  
  
"Name's Mikau. Are the fins damp lately?" Mikau replied warmly.  
  
"Yes, thank you. Wait a sec... Goddesses, you're a Zorian Hero!" Cem cried loudly. A few heads turned in his direction.  
  
"Shh! Don't announce it to the world!"  
  
"Why not? Any moron can tell just by looking at you. What with your arm blades, body paint and all. It's like you WANT to be noticed!" Cem looked admiringly at Mikau's colorful head and arm decorations.  
  
At the mention of body paint, Mikau looked down at his arm. It's only been a short while since Mikau had his body tattooed; he would sometimes forget that they were there. His mother had insisted that he get his body painted in traditional Zorain Hero fashion before he left for university. In fact, she had done it herself. Each design and color had some sort of representation. For example, blue means water and courage, circles represent unity and triangles stand for the Triforce. Mikau really liked his new decoration, which covered a portion of his head and tail, and almost the entirety of his right arm. Actually, he liked his mom's body paint even better. She has a flower-like pattern painted on her forehead with leaves that almost make her look like she had eyebrows, which is rare for Zoras. Her arm design is a skeleton of some sort of sea dragon wrapped around her arm. In his mind's eye, Mikau also saw his mother wearing a bronze neckband and gauntlets. However, she wouldn't be wearing them now because Mikau is wearing them. He had inherited those along with a skull belt. At first, thinking that they would slow him down, Mikau didn't want all the accessories, but his mother had said "WEAR THEM!!" And so he obliged. He was surprised at how light they were and that they didn't rust in the salty waters. There must be some sort of ancient spell cast on them. After all, they are what Zorian Heros wear.  
  
"So, where're you from? Is this your first time in Hyrule?" Cem asked. He was swimming upside down now, with his chin pointing up towards the surface.  
  
"I'm from Termina. This is not Hyrule, is it? I thought the borders ended a few leagues east of here."  
  
"Close enough. The school is under the influence of King Zora and the King of Hyrule even though it's not technically in Hyrule's borders." Cem shrugged and spun himself upright. "I'm from Zora Domain, Hyrule. But I don't like the school being here. The ocean's too salty for my taste. They should have built it in a lake or something."  
  
"Oh stop complaining. You'll get used to it, you fresh-water fish." Mikau joked.  
  
"Heeeeyyyy!" Cem looked annoyed. But he smiled. Then he blew bubbles at Mikau's face. Mikau tried to chase Cem, but he kept getting slapped by his rival's longer tail.  
  
"CEEEEEEM!!" Someone yelled near the surface.  
  
"Uh oh. That's my turtle handler. See ya 'round, Mikau!" Cem waved goodbye as he drifted upwards towards the person calling him.  
  
Mikau smiled as he watched Cem swim alongside another Zora. He was glad that he got to know someone so quickly, but doubted that Cem would be anything more than a casual aquaintence. After all, he doesn't seem like a serious musician. Even at a faraway glance, Mikau could see how Cem's guitar is not properly maintained. It's got the green tinge of algae and Cem's long tail would slap against it constantly, especially when he's racing. It's even got a trademark on it, which means it was store bought.  
  
Mikau neared an underwater hill that jutted out of the water which is the men's dormitaries. Hmm, seventh floor ment that Mikau would have one of the rooms above the tide line. That's good. Musicians had to have rooms in the air because sound doesn't travel well in water. Mikau surfaced carefully rather than leaping upwards; he was too laden with luggage to do that. The dorm above the water looked basically like a hill with many holes drilled into the rock. A single ramp spiraled around the entire structure, which made entry into the holes possible. The whole thing is pretty big, but Mikau was used to even larger buildings. After all, Mikau's home is the skeleton of a Jabu-Jabu which could hold an entire city of Zoras. In any case, the men's dorm is not much too look at. The underwater portion at least looked better with the greens, reds and blues of coral. Mikau could only hope that his new home is at least comfortable.  
  
And he wasn't disappointed. The interior, lit with shells of iridescent fish, had cool, ankle-deep waters in every room. Shell, glass and coral murals made by art students decorated the occational wall. In larger rooms, there are big pools of water which contained a smorgasbord of edible sea treats. Mikau grabbed a handful of prawns from one of these pools and ate them live and whole. Then the student proceded to find his room.  
  
While picking his teeth with a prawn spine, Mikau weaved his way around stray boxes and crowds of other Zoras. Everyone was moving in. Hopefully the dorm is not this noisy and bustling all the time!  
  
Before long, Mikau found the door to his dorm. It's not a very large dorm, only four rooms. One for sleeping, one washroom, a kitchen and a room for general uses. A small waterfall poured out over a wall and provided the dorm with water against the edges of each room. Green moss covered the floors, which Mikau found to be cushy against his feet, unlike rock floors he had at home. Pieces of basic furniture have also been provided.  
  
But the thing that Mikau noticed the most, was the fact that there is another Zora in the bedroom! Must be the new roommate. Mikau could see that he is a Bottom-feeder type Zora, with no tail to speak of. And typical of Bottom-feeders, his arms and legs are extremely small and weak compared to the rest of his body, and without fins. He's shaped like a stingray walking upright, so that the two large, blunt fins on his sides gave him an appearance of a chubby disk. His ears pointed upwards in a comical, cat- like position.  
  
"Hey." Mikau said, walking closer to the other Zora.  
  
"Hmm?" He replied. He looked up from assembling his drum set and pointed an eye in Mikau's direction.  
  
Mikau smiled and offered a hand for his roommate to shake. He shook it with his smaller, weak hands. "Hello, I'm Mikau. I guess we're roommates."  
  
"I'm Tijo." He said in the slow drawl that Bottom-feeders tend to have. "Oh! I see that you're a guitarist." Tijo remarked, spying the Skullfish on Mikau's back. His eyes lit up with excitement. "May I see it?"  
  
"Sure. Only if I can check out your drum set." Tijo nodded and Mikau dropped his luggage and removed his guitar for his roommate to examine. Then he went to examine the drums. The two musicians were equally interested in each other's instruments.  
  
"Mother of Pearl, this is hand made!"  
  
"Goddesses, these drums come from the Hydra Ocean!"  
  
The two of them spoke at the same time. Pause. Then they laughed.  
  
"Seriously. I've never seen a guitar of this quality hand made before." Tijo played a few notes. "It feels real smooth. It sounds real pure. Did you make it yourself?"  
  
"Yeah..." Mikau was still preoccupied with Tijo's instrument. He ran a finger over a drum's surface. "I've never seen drum fish like these before, except in books. They're pretty rare, aren't they? A full set must've cost a fortune!"  
  
"You haven't even SEEN the full set yet. I'm not done setting the drums up." Tijo carefully leaned the guitar against the wall and returned to his unpacking.  
  
Tijo had boxes and boxes of stuff, much more than Mikau who had his luggage casually tossed over one shoulder. After Mikau unpacked all his things, he helped Tijo. Mikau sighed. At the slow pace Tijo was working at, it would have taken him until tomorrow's daylight to finish everything. As a result, Mikau ended up doing the bulk of the work for the Bottom-feeder, but in the process, he learned a lot about his new friend. Among his luggage there were two newly made moss blankets, a shell mirror, photographs with frames included, a set of sea tube lights, items which had no obvious usage that Mikau could figure out other than decoration, and lots and lots of food. Tijo must be something of a Mama's boy.  
  
"Say, Tijo. Mind if I have one of those?" Mikau gazed longingly at a smoked fish. It looks exotic and dark with flavor!  
  
"Sure thing. So, where're you from, Mikau?" Tijo said without looking up.  
  
"I'm a Terminian. From Zora Hall. Where are you from?" Mikau bit into the fish and was pleasantly surprised to find that it had a tangy fruit filling. "Hey, this stuff is good! What is it?"  
  
"Hyrule. I mean I come from Hyrule! That fish is just Chirraka stuffed with berries. Smoked with deku wood and constantly glazed with it's own juices. My mom would always make that for me." Tijo sniffed and bit his bottom lip. "I miss home already."  
  
"Oh...? Well, I'm sure after a few days, you'll wonder how you ever lived elsewhere!" The Zorian Hero climbed into his sleeping shelf. At first, Mikau wanted the bottom bed, with it's constant supply of water, but he took the upper alcove instead. It would be too cruel to ask a Bottom- feeder to climb up there every night. But on the sleeping shelf, Mikau would have to wake up in the middle of the night if his moss blanket ever dries out. He must keep his blanket damp during the night or risk itchy skin and dehydration the next day.  
  
Mikau flopped down with his back to the bed, his tail draping over the ledge. "If you ask me, I'm really enjoying this! A chance to get away from it all and start brand new!"  
  
"You'll see how much you enjoy it once the classes start." Tijo muttered. He batted at Mikau's exposed tail. "Tired already?"  
  
"Hey, I did more work than you." Mikau said indignantly. He leaped out of the alcove. "Besides, you work slower than me."  
  
"You really think I'm slow?" Tijo asked in a slightly injured tone. But the beginnings of a smile played on his lips. "My drum set's done. Pass me my drum sticks. How about a little jam session?"  
  
Mikau reached over and tossed the drumsticks to his roommate. "Sure. What song?" He played a chord on his guitar.  
  
"Do y'know 'Fierce Solitude'? Let's do that." Tijo positioned himself behind the drums while Mikau tuned his instrument. "Ready? One...Two...Three..."  
  
And with that, Tijo played the opening sequence. At three times the normal speed! By the time Mikau processed this through this head, he nearly missed the guitar intro. This is crazy! 'Fierce Solitude' is a fast enough song, but at three times the regular tempo...Fingers can't conceivably move that fast for more than a few desperate moments! Yet Tijo was able to play just that fast with his unimpressive arms, never skipping a beat. Mikau on the other hand, had to fake and pause constantly. He nearly collapsed in relief when the song finally ended, nearly a minute and an eternity afterwards.  
  
"By the Triforce itself! Dude! That was the most intense playing I've ever heard!" Mikau ranted excitedly.  
  
"Thank you, no applauses. If you want an autograph, you'll have to talk to my manager." Tijo laughed and shook his flimsy arms. "Really, I'm impressed you were able to keep up! I haven't met anyone else with even half your skill. Great playing." Tijo tossed his drum sticks into the air, and caught them so fast that his arm is a blur.  
  
Mikau slapped his friend on the back. "Y'know, I was wrong. You are not slow. You're as slick as an eel. The fastest fish in these waters! I wouldn't be surprised if you swam circles around me. I bet you can lap this school five times without breaking a sweat!"  
  
Tijo blushed and scratched an ear. "Well, I wouldn't go too far..."  
  
"In fact," Mikau continued, grabbing a bag from one of the crates. "You could probably catch me if I took these shrimp crackers and ran away with them. See ya!" And with that, the Zora ran out the door.  
  
"What?! No I....! Wait, that's mine...MIKAU!! Get back here!" Tijo yelled. He chased after his laughing friend, who knew that no one, much less a Bottom-feeder, could ever catch him.  
  
End of Chapter 5  
  
Um, I've never been to university before and I think that's pretty obvious in this chapter. But this is a story, it's not real! I can make stuff up! Just bear with me... Thankyous go to everyone that has read my fic, because all of them reviewed, right? Am I right?! Oh well, double thankyous to everyone that has taken the time to review; you guys are the warm, fuzzy glow in my life. 


	6. Strangers no more

Chapter 6  
  
Grief may grip my bleeding heart,  
  
So I can only pray  
  
My wordless, empty, broken hopes  
  
Might reach your soul some way.  
  
  
  
Every day I live, I die  
  
Extinguished like a light.  
  
A shadow of my former self.  
  
Without you, nothing's right.  
  
  
  
I just wish these tears I cry  
  
Are only shed in vain.  
  
My dearest friend, come back to me  
  
And wash away my pain.  
  
-Mikau's song for Japas  
  
Mikau sat up in his bed with his eyes half closed, his mouth open with a bit of drool coming out one corner, and his head hanging limp from his neck. He rolled out of bed, rolled out of his alcove, which was five feet above the ground, and made a squishy plop when he fell on the floor. Tijo is in a bed on the ground level, and slept soundly, blissfully unaware of his roommate's fall from bed. Mikau sat up again, head still looling on his shoulders. He got up and walked out of his room like a drunk, bumping into walls and such. He left his residence, walked down the hall, walked outside, and fell thirty feet before he hit the ocean.  
  
"AAAHHHH!!" Mikau screamed, releasing a cloud of bubbles out of his mouth. His eyes snapped open as he floundered in panic. "AAUGH!! WATER! IT'S WET!!" Mikau yelled. A few early-rising Zora stared at him curiously. Mikau leaped in and out of the water to wake himself up. Then he started his morning water aerobics, which he does every day. It's like a morning caffeine shot for him. If he doesn't work out in the morning, then he spends the rest of the day in a Redead-like state. He also found that if he doesn't exercise regularly, he gets painful cramps in his muscles. That's one disadvantage of being a Zorian Hero; you HAVE to stay in shape.  
  
Mikau felt very excited and energetic after surviving his first night in the dorm. He ran back up the spiral platform to the seventh floor and burst into his dorm. Grabbing Tijo's arm, Mikau yelled, "Good MORNING Tijo!! WAKE UP or you'll miss the first tours!!" The Zora attempted to drag his roommate out of bed. Tijo didn't open his eyes, but hissed and tried to bite his assailant. Mikau managed to drag the heavy and reluctant Zora out his bed, but as soon as he let go, Tijo hopped back on and started snoring. Mikau shrugged. You can't blame a guy for trying.  
  
As Mikau waited for the tours to begin, the morning hyperness wore off. Then Mikau realized that it was only 8:00 and the tours won't start until 10:00. Doh! Mikau slapped himself. So he leaped off the spiral platform into the ocean again, to get some breakfast this time. It was actually quite disappointing because only the smallest fish and baby bivalves lived in these waters. Then again, it makes sense, what with the voracious appetites of young male Zoras and all. Besides, the school cafeteria would go out of business if there's plenty to eat just outside. Well, since there's lots of time to burn, Mikau swam a few miles out to sea and caught his breakfast there. The other students usually don't have time to travel so far just to eat. The Zorian Hero had just a quick meal of snails and squid, so that he won't get cramps on the way back.  
  
At the dorm, a small crowd has gathered for the first tour by now. Mikau scanned the many Zoras for Tijo, Cem or anyone else he might know, but no luck there. Oh well, this would be one of their last chances to sleep in for a long, long time. At ten o'clock on the dot, perhaps the biggest Zora Mikau's ever seen in his life came out to greet the new students. He is a Sleek Zora, and easily measures over seven feet in height. He has a thick neck to support a heavy tail bulging with muscles, which matches the physique of the rest of his body. The students all nervously made room for the giant, and even Mikau found himself tensing up.  
  
"MORNING, everyone!!" The huge Zora said in a booming, floor- vibrating voice. The students cringed. "Welcome to Seafifth University, the only Zora exclusive university in the world! You kids can call me Mr. Bayn. I'm the coach for the school's swimming team and a number of other sports events. Come along now! Step lively! I'm your tour guide today, and all of you'd better KEEP UP!" With that, he turned and walked at such a pace, that the Bottom-feeders actually had to run to keep up.  
  
Nobody made small talk in the presence of this intimdating Zora, which was just fine with him. With no lack of breath, Mr. Bayn led his troupe around the dorm, describing the important rooms in his colossal voice. "This here is the study room, where you kids can find a nice quiet place to study. Hey you there! I said this place is supposed to be QUIET!!" Another Zora, one not in the tour, nodded foolishly and ran off into another corridor. "Kids these days can be so rude! Don't you agree?" Everyone nodded. "Anyways, this next room is the cafeteria. Plenty to eat! Don't you dare let me catch you eating from the iridescent fish shells! Those fish give us light! We give them a place to live! We don't eat them! Understood?" Everyone nodded. "Feel free to eat from the snack pools for the next few days, but when classes start, we'll have to start charging you for them. Hey, don't give me that look, nothing in life comes for free, am I right?" Everyone nodded.  
  
"Now then, floors four and five are only underwater for half the day, depending on the tide. Floors three and down are permanently underwater. Come now!" Mr. Bayn dived beneath the surface and the rest of the students followed him. "The bottom levels are also where the shops are. If you forgot your toothbrush at home, then you can buy one! But don't think you can get a fancy pictograph or anything. This is a school, for crying out loud!"  
  
At the bottom floor, things were a lot different than the levels in air. The iridescent fish are not contained in shells this time, but are encouraged to stay in the dorm by feeding stations and the safe enviorment the Zoras provide. Mikau noticed that a lot more Bottom-feeders live in the waterlogged floors. That would make sense; it takes a lot of effort for a heavy Bottom-feeder to walk. Mikau couldn't really blame any Sleeks for staying in the lower floors because it's really very easy to just glide effortlessly along the corridors. But sound doesn't carry well in the water, and Mikau wouldn't sacrifice his music just for a little convenience.  
  
The troupe soon left the male dorms and headed for the main university building. It's about a fifteen minute swim, which went by rather uneventfully. Even Mr. Bayn couldn't think of much to say about this desolate stretch of water, except that it is visited by swarms of Biri during the summer. As the new students drew nearer, the heart of the Zora university slowly, but surely, revealed more and more of it's glory. Now, compared to the dorm, the main building is BIG! But it isn't just one structure, in fact it is a collection of many. Some on land, some in water, some inbetween. Every one of them clashed in shape, size and color. Mikau became dizzy from looking at all the varying structures and wondered if the architect of the school was taking any medication when he designed this.  
  
"Everyone, pay attention!" Mr. Bayn snapped. Suddenly, everyone did. "I pity you if you ever get lost in this insane maze of buildings, so you better remember everything I say! Now, to your left, is gym, sports and recreational center. If you want to join a team, play some JeeBall or just work out, this is the place for you!" The big Zora led them to a large, ugly building which looks like a pile of broken stone slabs with orange sea anenomes growing out of every crevice. The interior of the building isn't any better, but seemed somewhat practical. Empty spaces were set aside for exercising and aerobics but everywhere else, weights and equipment littered the floor.  
  
"This is MY domain! Where all the athletic people unite! I want to see all of you here when the new semester starts! Ah, isn't it just like home!" Everyone sweatdropped. Mr. Bayn noticed all their expressions and laughed heartily. "I was being SARCASTIC, you kids! This place will be more organized later, you'll see!" Mr. Bayn laughed again and gave a friendly slap on the back to the Zora who was nearest to him. Unfortunately, that happened to be Mikau, and he fell over. A few others snickered.  
  
"Say, son, aren't you a Zorian Hero?" Mr. Bayn asked, scratching his chin.  
  
Mikau scrambled up and nodded. "Um, yes Sir." There were murmurs in the crowd.  
  
"Ah! None of that 'Sir' stuff!" The older Zora crossed his arms and frowned. "Didn't you hear me before?? I said you can call me Mr. Bayn!"  
  
Mikau gulped and nodded more vigorously this time. "Yes, Mr. Bayn!"  
  
Mr. Bayn smiled. "So, young Hero, are you going to join any of the teams this year?"  
  
Mikau hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to be on this behemoth's bad side, but wondered if lying to him would possibly be more painful. "No, Mr. Bayn." Mikau answered meekly.  
  
The giant's smile grew wider. Then he spoke in the gentlest voice he has used so far. "Now, I don't want to force you, but being a Zorian Hero and all, it would be a pity to just throw that talent away. There are some that would just kill for what you got for free. I just want you to think about it." Mr. Bayn turned away and Mikau released a breath he didn't know he was holding.  
  
"By the way, boy, what's your name?"  
  
"Mikau Lorecrest."  
  
"Lorecrest, hmm?" Mr. Bayn turned and addressed the rest of the tour group. "ALRIGHT EVERYONE!" A few Zoras jumped. "Next stop is the science faculty! Don't lag behind!"  
  
The science building isn't as shabby as the gym, but is very...unique. Rods, spheres and things connected to the main portion of the building at odd angles and in splashes of bright color. Nothing is symmetrical. It looks like it was made by some enormous child playing with paint and glue. At least the inside is much, much better than the outside. After all, scientists are people of logic and organization. Rows and rows of bottles, tubes and equipment lined the shelves, each one neatly labled. Mikau, being the curious Zora that he is, looked closely at the contents of one of the bottles, but quickly decided that it's not such a good idea. He resolved never to touch those bottles and stayed as far away from them as possible. Mikau was glad to leave the science building.  
  
The next stop is the one that Mikau is most interested in. The arts faculty. Shrine of every artist, dancer and... musician in the university. And because it is the abode of artists, it is perhaps the most beautiful building in the whole university. It is shaped like a giant ammonite shell on its side which glowed opal from thousands of smaller shells glued onto the surface. The inside is mezmerizing. When Mikau passed through the coral- rimmed doors, it seemed as if he's coming home for the first time. An enormous variety of instruments and portraits of famous musicians lined the walls. Of course, there are portraits of dancers and artists as well, but Mikau ignored them. The people that were hanging around the music sections of the building just seem to have this...atmosphere around them that Mikau felt himself strangely drawn to. Finally! A group of people that can fully appreciate music!  
  
Mikau is dazzled by the glittering of shells and the play of colors on the walls. It made him feel a bit dreamy. Mr. Bayn went on about something concerning the water quality. Students nodded. Laughed. And something of a orangish-red color passed by the tour group.  
  
........!!!  
  
An Empress Crab!  
  
Mikau turned and Zoras parted to get around him. The orange/red blur went around a corner and disappeared. Forgetting about the tour, Mikau followed the crab. Impossible! Empress crabs don't live in these waters! Only....when Mikau drew nearer, he could see that the crab was actually a guitar, carried on the back of a Zora. The Zora is a Sleek with a short tail, and thin. Not thin from being weak, but perhaps from malnurishment. Mikau could see defined muscle as there is no fat to hide it. Far from weak, this Zora looked like a gangster, with unkept fins falling over his eyes and scars on his body, warping his natural body markings. Mikau guessed that the most serious of the injuries are on his back, which the guitar is covering.  
  
Mikau followed this Zora at a safe distance, making sure he isn't seen. The Zora swam all the way back to the dorm and suddenly stopped at a door into which he entered. After waiting a few minutes, Mikau didn't hear the click of a lock. So he went in. This dorm is one that is on the sixth floor and above the tideline. It's similar to Mikau's dorm but much smaller. It seems to be made for just one tenant.  
  
Mikau entered cautiously, making barely a ripple in the water that flooded every room. Behind a closed door, he heard soft splashing, where the owner of this dorm must be. Mikau scanned the room and his eyes rested on the Empress guitar, which has been carefully deposited onto a table. Mikau ran his fingers over the guitar. He guessed it was made a few years ago, by someone that truly knew something about guitar making. The glue in the joints have not chipped away and the crab's color hasn't faded. Mikau could tell that it would make a sweet sound, but wouldn't risk playing it in case the owner hears.  
  
Then Mikau found a jagged hole where a spine could be. Mikau stared at it for nearly a whole minute. Then he took off his necklace and unwound the cord from the crab spine he always carried. With shaking fingers, he inserted the spine where the break was made...  
  
Suddenly, something connected with Mikau's jaw. Bright flashes exploded in Mikau's eyes and his head collided violently with the wall. He almost passed out from the pain. Supporting himself against the wall, Mikau touched the corner of his mouth and found it bleeding. He looked up and finally noticed the Zora standing in front of him.  
  
It is the guitar's owner. He just stood there, seemingly calm and relaxed. The hand that he used to bash Mikau in the jaw was still clenched in a fist. Mikau couldn't tell if he is looking at him, because fins covered his eyes.  
  
"I knew I was being followed." He said in a shaky voice thick with emotion. Then he attacked. The Zora managed to connect two punches to Mikau's ribs and shoulder and a tail slap to the side of the head before Mikau gained enough sense to defend himself. Mikau extended his arm blades in defensive position, not wanting to hurt his attacker. The other Zora clawed and even bit the shield before ceasing his assault, realizing that it is now useless.  
  
The guitar's owner calmly walked over to his instrument, checking to see if the intruder had done any damage. He picked it up and immediately dropped it, recoiling as if it was a snake. His face paled. Mikau lowered the shield and watched his reaction carefully. The other Zora touched the guitar and gently removed the broken spine, which had fit his instrument perfectly. He held it out to Mikau.  
  
"Where did you get this?" He asked in a hoarse voice.  
  
"It was all that was left of my friend when he suddenly disappeared six years ago." Mikau answered, his eyes downcast and glazed. He swallowed the rest of the blood in his mouth. "That spine was broken off his Empress crab guitar which I had made for him. I have been wearing it ever since, hoping that he would come back some day." Mikau looked up.  
  
The other Zora was silent. He turned his head away and placed the spine with his guitar. After a moment, he faced Mikau again.  
  
"Mikau?" His voice is barely a whisper. Mikau's eyes widened. "MIKAU!!" He yelled.  
  
"JAPAS!!" Mikau screamed, leaping onto his feet.  
  
The two long-lost friends ran to each other and embraced, laughing and crying at the same time. They started talking simutaniously, not really caring what the other said but just wanting to hear the sound of each other's voice. Mikau finally held his friend out at arms length and got a good look at him. He couldn't believe it! Staring at Japas' beaming face seemed to wash away all the years of collected anguish and loneliness Mikau had to live through. He thanked the Goddesses for bringing his friend back. Mikau thought that this just might be the best day of his life!  
  
End of Chapter 6  
  
So I finally brought Japas back and made Mikau happy. Yay! I hope I was able to achieve the desired emotional effect with the reunion of the two Zoras. Well, I'm getting a lot of positive feedback from all you wonderful readers, so, dispite each chapter taking me an upwards of five hours to write, I'll continue to update. Yeah, it's really tough to squeeze the time in to write especially with my active social life and all. (har har) 


	7. Discussion long overdue

Chapter 7  
  
My nightly dreams are reflections  
  
Of what my heart does feel.  
  
Then how am I to know for sure  
  
If what my eye beholds is real?  
  
Mikau and Japas ran up to the seventh floor of the dormitary, with the former leading the way, and the latter carrying the bass guitar and a few music sheets.  
  
The two boys burst into Mikau's room. "TIJO! Are you here?! Hello? Oh well, maybe not. C'mon in." Mikau held the door open for Japas.  
  
"Wow, your place is so much...bigger than mine!" Japas pushed his hair back, face beaming. He admired all the empty space in this dorm, and absently wondered if he would like such a place, even if it ment sharing it with a roommate. Probably not. Japas is insecure around most people and especially terrifed of others invading his personal space. He is willing to pay the extra price of a single's room rather than a double's. "So, I take it that this Tijo is your roommate?"  
  
"Yeah, but we only met yesterday. He seems like a nice guy but I'm serious, he's the most intense drummer I've met in my life! Here, come 'ere. Check out his drum set."  
  
"Ah!" Japas ran over and hugged the drums. Then he caught sight of Mikau's fishbone guitar. "Ah!" He hugged that as well. Mikau sweatdropped. Japas looked like a kid in a toy store, with stars in his eyes. He sniffed. "So many memories..."  
  
"Yeah, it's been six years." Mikau climbed to his shelf and flopped down on his bed. Japas climbed after him. "Spill your guts. Where in the name of Din, Farore and Nayru have you been all this time?! Everyone's been worried sick abou..."  
  
"Stop right there!" Japas interrupted. He pushed the bone guitar at Mikau and handed him a wrinkled sheet of parchment. "First things first. I'm sure you'll know how to play this." Japas removed his crab guitar and tuned it.  
  
Mikau looked dubiously at his friend, then at the paper. He took one look at the music sheet and gasped. It's 'Ocean Blues', the piece that the two of them had written together and played at their first concert! Mikau thought that he had lost the music, but that little thief, Japas had it the whole time! "I can't believe you still have this! Goddesses!"  
  
"Yeah, well..." Japas plucked a string. "Y'ready?"  
  
"You know it."  
  
Like a substance induced dream, the two of them relived the heady days of their past. With each chord played, milestones in their friendship bubbled up from the depths of faded memory. How the two boys first met by running too fast and plowing into each other. The time when they had wrote this song and argued over every nuance of word and melody. Their first concert back in Zora Hall; it seemed like millenia ago. The making of Japas' Empress guitar, which they completed over snacks of the crab's own gamey meat. And finally, their last, seemingly unimportant moments together, which each of them have endlessly played in their minds.  
  
The guitars echoed into nothing. Both Zoras stayed silent for quite a while. Japas flipped his hair back again and Mikau could see something glittering near his eyes. "Wow, man." Japas looked at Mikau and smiled. "So, the little Guppy has grown into a shark. But what's with the body paint, Mikau?" Both leaned their guitars against the wall.  
  
"What, don't you like it? It's traditional Zorian Hero decoration and all." Mikau examined his painted arms and flexed them, making the patterns ripple.  
  
Japas poked at a bicep. "Oooo. He's got the bod-ee." He sang. Mikau shooed him away with an annoyed flick of his tail.  
  
"Alright, you singing fool. Enough stalling. Where have you been for the past six years?? Answer me!"  
  
Japas was slightly taken aback. The tone of Mikau's voice told him that he wouldn't be able to get away with anymore BS. He sighed. "Alright. You deserve a straight answer." Japas smoothed his hair back, and to Mikau's surprise, actually used a clip to hold it in place. Mikau got his first good look at Japas' eyes, which are narrow and mischievious.  
  
"When I moved to Labrynna, there was nothing for me there. No friends, no music; I was miserable. I knew I just couldn't live with my father, not anymore. So I ran away." Japas smirked, proud of the memory. "To Sunken City in Holodrum. That's where I was the whole time, can you believe it? There are no Zoras living there, because no Jabu-Jabu lives there." All Zora homes are made near a Jabu-Jabu, because they are sacred creatures. Mikau listened on, entranced with is friend's life story. "I couldn't run back to Zora Hall, or anyplace with Zoras. 'Cause Dad might find out about me and bring me back to Labrynna. So I found a fisherman in Sunken City that would hire me. After all, even a young, unskilled Zora like me is better at mapping fish locations than any Hylian can. And I didn't really need to worry about finding a place to stay. Like I said, no Zoras live there, so I had my choice of caves and tunnels to call my own. There's also lot's of food in the waters. Time passed, whatever. In a nutshell, that's what happened."  
  
"You missed something." Mikau said softly. "What happened to you the day you moved? I found that broken crab spine in an area of bloody water."  
  
Japas hesitated for a moment. "I don't remember." He forced out finally. His expression told otherwise.  
  
Mikau looked at Japas steadily for a while; nothing passed between the two. "Y'know," Mikau started. "A few days after you disappeared, your dad came to Termina, asking around to see if anyone's seen you. That's how I found out you were missing; I wouldn't have known otherwise."  
  
Japas snorted. "That's hard to believe." He sneered.  
  
"Are you saying that I'm lying?" Mikau bristled.  
  
"Oh, no." Japas replied quickly, putting his hands up in defence. "I mean that it's hard to believe that my dad would even notice that I'm gone, not to mention actually coming out to look for me." He took the pin out of his fins so that they fell over his face again. "I don't care. I don't ever want to see my father again. I've moved on. He's not a part of my life anymore."  
  
"Oh." Mikau said simply. "I was totally messed up for the first few days. I even went out to look for you."  
  
"Look for me?" Japas laughed. "You could never find me back when we hid in the coral caves! And where would you look that my dad hasn't already checked?"  
  
"You really want to know?" Mikau gave his friend a lopsided grin. "I went to the Gerudo Fortress."  
  
"WHAT?!?" Japas shrieked. He spazzed and fell out of the alcove but scrambled back up. Mikau blinked at Japas' antics. "You went to the Gerudo Fortress!" Japas gasped. He grabbed Mikau's shoulders, looked behind the left one, the right one, then held his friend out at arm's length. "But you're alive!"  
  
Mikau calmly removed Japas' hands from his shoulders, a little disoriented from his rough treatment. "Um, yeah. Obviously."  
  
"Did you see my mother?" Japas' voice broke a little in hysteria. Mikau resisted the urge to laugh. "Or my sisters, Amberize and Pyrias? Tell me all that happened."  
  
"I didn't see your mother or Pyrias, but I met up with Amberize..."  
  
"What did she look like? She would have grown so much by now. Goddesses, it's been so long. Does she still bite when her hair gets washed?"  
  
Mikau gave Japas a weird look. "Don't interrupt. Well, Amberize is typical Gerudo with the red hair, tight wrap, cruvy body..."  
  
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't you go hitting on my sister!"  
  
"Shut up!" Mikau managed to get Japas into a headlock dispite his friend's flapping tail and both of them rolled off the shelf. "Ow! You moron!" Mikau pushed a laughing Japas off him. "Your sister and her friends threatened to kill me!" Mikau tired to look seriously annoyed but Japas knew his friend too well.  
  
"Yep, that's my Amberize, all right!" Japas laughed. "She's always threatening to kill me for every little thing I do. Pulling her hair, eating her food, stealing her wrap..." Mikau looked alarmed at the last statement, but Japas ignored him. "And did you ever notice her teeth? Those Zorian canines? She said to me once that 'I've got fangs so I'm gonna use them!'" Japas imitated in a bad falsetto. "She has a fetish for biting things. Yeah! Look at my wrist! Y'see these bumps? And this line? All from her teeth."  
  
Mikau winced at the nasty looking scars on his friend. But the worst of his injuries seems to be on his back. Mikau opened his mouth and was about to ask about them, but noticed that they seemed to make a pattern on his back. A pattern that looks remarkably like the imprint of an Empress crab. Mikau snapped his jaw shut. Then coughed hard, still tasting a bit of blood in his mouth.  
  
"Oh, man. Are you okay?" Japas touched Mikau's cheek where Japas had socked him before. It's bruising up slightly. "I'm SO sorry. I never apologized yet."  
  
Mikau rotated his jaw but smiled back reassuringly. "Don't sweat it. Hey. Like, whatever. Now would you shut up and stop interrupting?"  
  
Remarkably, Japas shut up for the rest of Mikau's reaccount of his so- called 'Journey to the Heart of the Gerudo Fortress', which is much more exaggerated than what really happened. It must have taken a great amount of effort for Japas to refrain from commenting. But being a good sport, he listened with a bemused expression as Mikau proudly told of how he eluded dozens of Gerudos, and that it had taken five pirates to find and finally capture him. Mikau kept the conversation with Amberize as unrevised as memory permits, but told of how the Gerudos let him go in the end because they were charmed by his courage and dashing good looks.  
  
Once Mikau finished his unlikely tale, he watched to see if his friend will buy it. Japas rolled over onto his belly and proped himself up by the elbows. "So let me get this straight..." He put out a hand and ticked off points on his fingers. "You asked for Amberize, the Gerudos tied you up and led you to her at knife-point, you found out I'm not in the fortress, and they toss you out like a sack of clams. Am I right?"  
  
Mikau stared at Japas. Then he lowered his head in defeat. "Right..."  
  
"Aah." Japas rolled onto his back and gave Mikau a friendly slap on the back. "I can see through you like a Chuchus, buddy." Suddenly, a noise of complaint was emmited from Japas' stomach. He sat up. "Um, I haven't eaten anything since last night. You wouldn't have any food on you, do ya?"  
  
Shaking his head, Mikau said, "No. But you can leech off my roommate's stash; he won't mind. But try not to be a Like Like, 'kay? Geeze, this horde of food is supposed to last him three months." Japas helped himself to a generous serving of lichen-encrusted bubble-beans. He flopped onto the bed.  
  
"Hey, don't get too relaxed just yet." Mikau yanked Japas' tail. "I still have a thousand questions. Like, what happened to your tail?! It used to be so big and long. What happened, did you catch it in a door?"  
  
Japas blushed and jerked his tail away from Mikau. It's still as flexible as ever, but is much smaller than the tails of most Sleek Zoras and certainly not the awe-inspiring, water-slicing limb it used to be was when Japas was younger. "I dunno. I guess the rest of me grew while my tail didn't. What can I say?" Japas tried to get a good look at his tail but had some difficulties with such a task, considering how it has a death grip on the back of Japas' head. He turned his head rapidly and ended up slapping himself with his own tail.  
  
Mikau dissolved in laughter and buried his head in his hands. The stuff he's willing to put up with!  
  
"Hey! Enough already!" Japas nudged his friend. "We should write somethin'. Y'know, to celebrate our six year reunion. We haven't written anything together for the longest time."  
  
"Yeah! That's a good idea." Mikau picked up his guitar and stroked a chord. "Hmm. I haven't written anything for almost a month now. How about this...'One fish, two fish. Red fish, blue fish...'"  
  
"What?? What the heck is that?!"  
  
"Kidding! Just kidding! Okay, okay. An opening line..." Mikau tapped a beat on his instrument. Then he stopped and lifted his head in thought. "Zora brothers in seperate seas... How's that?"  
  
Japas silently chuckled over the significance of those words. The bass player muttered over those lyrics as if he's tasting them, nodding in approval. He played a few simple notes that would fit the syllables, then tried to turn the notes into suitable chords. Mikau marveled at his friend's intricate transformation of a short lyric. Japas had always been better at riffs while Mikau would invent the dialogue and perfect the dynamics. The two of them lost track of time and spent the rest of the afternoon writing and playing together, one of the simple joys that both had been denied when their lives were ripped apart. Music is the cement of their friendship. It felt just like old times.  
  
End of Chapter 7  
  
I'm sorry, this chapter is just one looong coversation. But I wanted to explain some things that had happened and felt that it would be best when presented in dialogue. And further apologies to those that have complained about the slow pace of this fanfic, but that's the way it's supposed to be. I'm attempting to describe every detail of my vision of the Zora world. It's a daunting task to me as a writer, and I suppose it's a bit tedious for the reader to endure as well. 


	8. New dawn approaches

Chapter 8  
  
Zora brothers  
  
In seperate seas  
  
Long for each other  
  
Long to be free  
  
Long for the hopes  
  
Tomorrow shall bring  
  
May the Ocean unite us  
  
Eternally  
  
"Tijo, this is Japas. He's a good friend of mine."  
  
Tijo returned to the dorm during the early evening, and found the two other Zoras in the midst of their composing. He was a little disappointed and jealous that Mikau has a friend in this school and he doesn't. And his first impression of Japas is not too flattering, considering how the bassist was dancing carelessly near Tijo's precious drum set. But Tijo supposed that if he was going to alienate Japas, he might as well give up any thought of being friends with Mikau.  
  
Tijo swallowed and offered his hand to Japas. "Pleased to meet you."  
  
"Same 'ere." Japas gave Tijo a toothy smile and took the hand in a crushing handshake. His eyes widened when the pressure was returned, not that anyone could see anything under Japas' veil of fins. He concluded that Tijo must be a stronger Bottom-feeder than he looks. "Heard that you're something of a drummer, hm?" Japas challenged in a slightly sarcastic tone.  
  
Mikau's eyes darted nervously from his new roommate to his old friend. Japas hadn't changed one bit. He could seem too outgoing and offensive to those that don't know him well, but that's just the way he is. Mikau hoped that Tijo wouldn't rise to the bait.  
  
Tijo's smile came slowly. Japas' smile was constant. "Take a seat." Tijo took the stool behind his drums and motioned to the bed where Japas' guitar was waiting.  
  
Japas tuned his instrument quickly, faster than Tijo, and tilted his head slightly in Mikau's direction. Although his eyes are shaded, Mikau could tell Japas is looking at him. Mikau's eye twitched in a way that ment, You asked for it.  
  
Japas licked his lips and his hair ruffled which means, What, you really think this Bottom-feeder can beat me?  
  
Mikau looked away slightly, meaning he's thinking, You know I'm a good judge of skill. Don't say I didn't warn you.  
  
Tijo was puzzled by Mikau and Japas. Are they communicating silently? "Ahem." Tijo cleared his throat and brought the two Sleeks back to reality. "Are you ready? You know 'Beloved Emily' don't you?" As soon as Japas nodded his affirmative, Tijo began his breakneck beat.  
  
Mikau yawned, left to get a snack, returned, and found Tijo blinking at the defeated Japas curled up on the floor.  
  
"H...hey, is he alright? I hope he didn't injure himself from overexertion." Tijo asked Mikau nervously.  
  
Mikau shrugged. "Nah. He's got a thing with being overly melodramatic."  
  
At that moment Japas sprang up raised his hands skywards. "Oh the humanity! I have been beaten at my own game! I have been disgraced! I shall never show my face again! Oh, nice playing, by the way."  
  
Tijo looked smug. "Thank you."  
  
Now Japas picked up his Empress again and plucked a few harsh notes that made the two other musicians in the room cringe in it's disharmony. "Hey, let's play this my way. How good are you at improvisation? How's about this, I play one line, then you play the next. Let's see how hot you are at that."  
  
Tijo thought this might be interesting. The confidence from winning that earlier play-off bouyed him still. Mikau supressed a silent snicker as Tijo picked up his drumsticks. This is gonna be rich!  
  
Japas started with a lovely five-noter that Tijo picked up easily. Tijo licked his lips; he could taste triumph already. But the very next line, Japas introduced a techno rhythm that changed keys three times and changed time twice. And before Tijo could even finish, Japas started on the next line, then the next, forcing his opponent to play and listen at the same time. Japas deliberately chose groups of notes that are the most strenuous to play on drums, but not quite so difficult on the guitar. Mikau watched Tijo's pitiful efforts with mild amusement. Why hadn't he thought of this earlier!  
  
Japas finally plucked the finishing notes, allowing the exhausted Tijo to slump onto his drumset. Japas flicked his hair back. "So who's the better musician now?"  
  
"I have one word to say to you," Tijo got up and shook out his abused wrists. "Touche."  
  
Japas broke out in a fit of contagious laughter, which the other occupants of the room soon caught as well. Ice broken, the three Zoras were like brothers. Class hasn't started yet, so they were desperately looking for things to occupy their time with. They heard of some others who had traveled to Zora Domain earlier for some city excitement, but by the time they found this out, it would be impossible for them to swim there and back in time for the first day of school. Instead, the three of them would take long trips away from the school to forage for food or just vegg out in the dorm lobby with a bunch of other adolecents that have similarily nothing to do. Tijo and Mikau's room is also a popular hangout, especially when the three of them want to write songs. Turns out that Tijo is an expert on rhythm (not unusual for a drummer) and would add extra insight on the beat of anything that the three of them invent. There was plenty to talk about, considering how Japas had disappeared for six years and neither Sleeks know anything about Tijo's past. Discussion between the boys are frequent and about issues that concern them the most.  
  
"Are your drum fish edible?"  
  
"Just about as edible as your Empress guitar."  
  
"Say, Japas. Where did you get those rings from? I just noticed them. You never used to wear jewelery or anything."  
  
"Oh, they're souveniers from Holodrum. Like how everyone in Termina has masks, everyone in Holodrum has rings. Heck, rings are so popular there, they even grow on trees!"  
  
Mikau and Tijo stared at Japas for a full minute, then went back to whatever they were doing before. Some things are just better left unmentioned. Soon afterwards, there was a quiet knocking at the door, which Mikau rose to answer. Standing in front of him, Mikau found himself facing a Sleek Zora struggling with a stack of paperwork in one hand and holding two stray sheets in the other.  
  
"Um, is this the room of Tijo Ebb and Mikau Lorecrest?" The Zora asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Here are your schedules for this semester. You are expected to be in your first class by 8:00 tomorrow." He handed the two papers to Mikau, who skimmed over them. He was just about to leave when Japas showed up in the doorway.  
  
"Hey, the schedules! Do you have the schedule of Japas Sycrune?" Japas asked from behind Mikau.  
  
"One moment..." Through a miracle of balance and dexterity, the Zora balanced the stack of papers on one knee, held his tail straight out to steady himself, and used his two hands to sift through the timetables. "Sulia, Svyene...ah, Sycrune. Japas Sycrune. Here you are." He held out the parchement in triumph, which Japas snatched away eagerly.  
  
"Tijo! Your schedule!" Mikau called out, handing the document to his roommate.  
  
"So, what courses are you taking?" Tijo said in his slow drawl. One hand extended to catch the paper while the other held both drumsticks, tapping a continuous beat on the drums.  
  
As Japas looked over his paper, his expression ranged from surprise, anger, extreme sorrow to elation.  
  
"Heck, if you're gonna get so worked up over a schedule, I'd hate to see you read the school's cafeteria menu." Mikau remarked without skipping a beat.  
  
"Mikau, pass me yours." Japas said. Mikau handed over his schedule to Japas for comparison. "Niiice. We'll be taking Music Composition and Theory in second block! And we both have Singing on the last block. Heeey! What's this?" Japas pointed accusingly at one entry on Mikau's sheet. "How come you've got Phys Ed in first block? Aren't you already a natural athlete being a Zorian Hero and all? I never knew you were into that kind of stuff."  
  
"I wasn't...until a few days ago."  
  
"Aww, I'm flattered! You're working out just so you can actually fight back the next time I try to dislocate your jaw!"  
  
Mikau rubbed the still-aching bruise on his cheek that Japas unknowingly gave him. "I'm not doing it for YOUR sake, rest assured." He smiled sweetly. "I'm doing this for someone else." There was something in Mikau's voice that stopped Japas from asking anymore questions, at least for now. Actually, that's just the effect Mikau wanted. Japas would just laugh if he found out Mikau actually listened to the puffer, Mr. Bayn, and decided to hone his abilities as a descendant of warriors.  
  
Japas shrugged. "If that's what you want. The way I see it, it's just one more music course you're not taking."  
  
"Hey, Tijo, what about you? Do you have any classes with us?"  
  
"Hmm." Tijo shifted his heavy bulk to get a better view of the papers. "Um, yeah. Mikau's got Script with me. And...that's it. Nothing with you, Japas."  
  
"Geeze, that sucks! Oh well, I can always come here to harrass you."  
  
"That's a comforting thought."  
  
The day is already growing late. After some further deep contemplation of their schedules, Japas left for his own dorm. The night is cloudy, masking the stars and moon and leaving their room eerily dark. Mikau wanted to rest up for tomorrow and crashed earlier than Tijo, but woke in the night to a soft tapping of cymbals. He looked down from his alcove, and saw the faint glow of a single iridescent fish. In it's light, Mikau could make out the deft fingers striking the instrument in one steady, relentless beat.  
  
"Tijo? Is that you?" Mikau mumbled.  
  
"Uh huh." The tapping didn't stop.  
  
"You're nervous about tomorrow, aren't you."  
  
"No." Three more taps. Then Tijo stopped and sighed. "Yes." Tijo's hand moved away from the light and Mikau could only tell by his voice that he's still in the room. And his voice is shaky. "Aren't you homesick? I mean, you're from Termina, right? That's almost as far from here as Labryanna is. Aren't you nervous?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm nervous. But I'm also excited! And hungry. And sleepy. What time is it, anyways?" Mikau looked out the window, and though the moon was hidden, there was enough reflection in the water for the Zora to tell time from the tide line. "It's 2:00! You're gonna be a Redead by morning. Get some sleep, Tijo! What could you possibly be worried about?"  
  
"Other than Script with you, none of my other classes are with anyone I can talk to."  
  
"So? You'll make some new friends."  
  
Tijo sighed forlornly. "I'm sure it's easy for you to make friends, but it's not so easy for some people."  
  
"Oh, this is what it's about?" Mikau stretched and rolled into a more comfortable position. "Getting to know people is not the most common thing for you? And what makes you think I make friends easily?"  
  
"You do. Admit it. You're friendly, charismatic, gifted and smart. You have the looks of a Zorian Hero."  
  
It's clear to Mikau that Tijo is insecure about his situation, and maybe a little jealous. Perhaps he had too much of a sheltered family life. "Look here, Tijo. Just because a person likes you, doesn't mean you two are automatically buddys. It works both ways. You think that my talents and looks make me a lot of friends? I think it's just the opposite. Those same talents and looks turn out to be the only things people care about if they approach you for those reasons. Do you know how hard it is for me to tell who my real friends are opposed to those that just want to be seen with me?"  
  
"Japas is your friend, isn't he?"  
  
"Goddesses and Giants he is." Mikau sighed deeply. "But the thing about him is that he doesn't care what you are, but who you are. He looks past your outer shell and sees your...I dunno, soul or something. And learning from him, I'm sort of the same. I don't care the least about Japas' outward behavior, even if it is a nuisance, but it's what's in his heart that matters."  
  
"Whoa, whoa. Way too deep."  
  
"Yeah, well, I've had a lot of time to think about it. Six years, y'know."  
  
"Oh yeah. That whole 'long-lost-friend' thing. I don't mean to say that you're lying or anything but I still find that story a bit hard to believe. I mean, you guys get along so well after six years. It's unbelievable."  
  
"Believe it. If it takes only six years to drive us apart, then it wouldn't have been much of a friendship, hmm?"  
  
"Mikau?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Tijo moved his head into the light. His eyes glowed. "Am I your friend?"  
  
"Depends on what you think."  
  
Tijo thought about that for a while. "Do you think I'll be friends with someone like how you and Japas are friends?"  
  
Mikau chuckled, then rolled over, pulling his blanket over him. "Go to sleep, Tijo. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."  
  
End of Chapter 8  
  
Argh, more dialogue. As most of you can probably tell, this chapter was used to better explain the relationship between Tijo and Japas, and Tijo and Mikau. Just because Tijo shows up later in the story, doesn't mean he's a secondary character or any less important than our two Sleeks. I like all the important Zoras in the Zelda games, inclucing Ruto and King Zora. Tijo is certainly no exception; I love his little ears! 


	9. Mikau goes to the gym

Chapter 9  
  
Zora, swim and Goron, roll.  
  
Gerudo, strike and Deku, go.  
  
Fight the foe and save the masses.  
  
Mountain, desert, sea and grasses.  
  
Tijo squinted and rolled away from the bright light in his eyes. His mind suddenly registered the fact that light=sun=day. With a gasp, the Zora sat bolt upright. Bright light! Is it that late?! Tijo twisted his body towards the source of the light. (He couldn't twist his neck since he couldn't really be considered to have a neck in every sense of the word.) Turns out that the light was not the sun, but a bucket of iridescent fish. Having been shocked awake, Tijo took a while to understand that the bucket was probably left by Mikau as an alarm so Tijo wouldn't be late for the first day of class. Tijo smiled. How thoughtful of Mikau, even if he left the dorm already without him.  
  
Tijo hurridly prepared for school, which is a challenge due to his usually slow nature. With an armful of paperwork, he rushed past the kitchen towards the door. But he noticed a large salmon on the kitchen counter, so fresh that it's gills were still laboring. So Mikau left Tijo some breakfast. How thoughtful of Mikau! With a much lighter heart, and a salmon in his mouth, Tijo dived into the water and headed towards the university.  
  
Japas and Mikau however, have already crossed the stretch of water that seperated the male dorms and the main building. The two of them were always early risers. Mikau would have liked to have Tijo come with them, but felt that an hour of extra sleep would benefit the Bottom-feeder more. Both Sleeks carried a lot of materials to class, not just their guitars. Mikau's stuff was contained in a large bubble which trailed behind him and is attached to a cord tied to his belt. Japas' materials are in a pack weaved of seaweed which was strapped to his belly. (Zoras don't wear packs on their backs since it gets in the way of their tails.)  
  
The two of them were nearing the main buildings, when Japas suddenly stopped. "What's up, Japas?" Mikau asked. He swam slightly ahead, but Japas grabbed his cord and yanked him backwards. Mikau squacked a protest. "Ack! What the...Japas!" Japas hissed for him to be quiet. Mikau obliged and let his friend drag him along like a dog on a leash. Mikau wondered what Japas was up to. Japas finally released the cord once they were behind a pile of rocks, and put a finger to his lips to indicate silence. Mikau mouthed the words, "What?" Japas still didn't answer but looked over the rocks, one hand holding back his hair for better vision.  
  
Mikau rose to look too. But before he could, Japas sank back down with both hands covering his mouth, hair falling over his face again. He looks a bit more purple than usual. "What?!" Mikau hissed quietly. Japas removed his hands and Mikau could see that he is actually laughing, but trying hard not to make any noise. "What the heck are you laughing about, you fish?"  
  
Japas flicked his hand in the direction he was looking at. "Hylian Zoras. You've gotta see this." He managed to say between snickers.  
  
"What are you talking about? Tijo is a Hylian Zora, for crying out loud."  
  
"No no no." Japas brought his face close to Mikau's. "I mean Hylian, FEMALE Zoras!" He whispered meaningly. Mikau's eyes lit up with understanding and he scrambled to look over the rocks.  
  
It's been a long time since the two Zoras regarded members of the opposite sex as objects of annoyance. Instead, their vision of females had evolved into creatures of beauty and fascination. In other words, the boys had grown into young men, with the same curiosity and ambitious tastes of young men. Due to the fact that the university is smack in the middle of the male and female dorms, casual visits to either one are inconvenient unless you happen to reside in one of them. As a result, Mikau and Japas haven't seen a lot of girls around the school, and those they've seen so far just happen to be Terminian or Labrynnian girls. Now if Mikau remembers correctly, Hylian Zoras live in fresh water, which means they have softer skin and they tend to remain...  
  
"Goddesses..."  
  
Mikau barely breathed. He sensed Japas rising beside him to get a better view, but he couldn't care less. The two of them just goggled at the stream of females swimming towards the school, completely unaware of the time.  
  
"Hey, Mikau! Japas!"  
  
The two of them broke out of their trance and guiltily faced the direction of the voice. "Tijo! What the..." Mikau shot upwards toward Tijo, grabbed him by the arm, and quickly pulled him behind the rocks before they can be seen. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"  
  
"Yeah. About half an hour ago." Tijo replied.  
  
"How did you know we were hiding here? Did you see us?" Japas looked horrified.  
  
"No, I was only able to find you because I recognized the paint pattern on Mikau's tail. It blends right into the rocks but I was able to distinguish it anyways. Don't worry, I don't think anyone else would have seen you guys." Tijo looked over his shoulder in the direction of the female dorms. He turned back to the two Sleeks, shaking his head. "You two are so immature!"  
  
"Uh huh. And I'm sure you've never glanced at a female form." Japas nudged at Tijo playfully, wearing a lecherous grin. "Hyrule must be a pretty crazy place. I mean, you've got naked girls to the left and right. Oh yeah, Zora Domain: number one tourist attraction!"  
  
"Nah. Everyone's used to it in Hyrule. Really, how long do you think you can stay interested in the nude body when you see it every day?"  
  
Japas leered, but before he could answer, Mikau put a hand over his friend's mouth and turned to Tijo. "Buddy, you're asking the wrong person the wrong questions." He happened to look upwards, where the distorted light of the sun could be seen. "Holy...! It's almost 8:00! We're gonna be late!" Mikau zipped of in the direction of the gym, while Japas and Tijo headed off to the music room. Japas has Guitar lessons; Tijo had Drum.  
  
Mikau became a little frustrated while he was trying to find the gym. Then again, it was his own fault for leaving that tour early a few days ago, otherwise he would have better understood the layout of the university. Then again, he wouldn't have been reunited with Japas if he had stayed in the tour. Then again, he would have met Japas in either his Music Composition/Theory class or in Singing class today. Then again, they wouldn't have the few precious free days to get to know each other. Then again, a few days wouldn't have mattered either way.  
  
These thoughts raced through Mikau's mind while he raced towards the gym. Swimming upwards through the corridors, he burst through water onto dryer floors. The Zora ran through the doors that his class was supposed to be in and found himself in a room with a high ceiling. This was the room where the tour took place. In his mind's eye, Mikau still saw the crowd of students from the tour, and gruff Mr. Bayn chewing one of them out. Wait a sec, those people are real! Mikau had hoped that the giant of a Zora would be teaching only older grades, rather than scaring the living Hell out of the new students. No such luck. This also happens to be Mikau's first class of the day, year, and all of university. It's not that Mr. Bayn was horrible like some teachers Mikau could name, but just that he is so intimdating...and big!  
  
Mr. Bayn finished with the unfortunate student and let him rejoin the crowd, which he gratefully did. Mikau froze and felt his heart stop as the teacher locked his disapproving gaze on the Zorian Hero.  
  
"So we've got another clown who thinks it's funny to make an entrance." Mr. Bayn said with a frown. Mikau's lips trembled with half- formed words, none of which came out right. The gym coach suddenly laughed, loud and heartily, the sound of it echoing tenfold against the walls and making everyone else cringe. "Very funny! But it's only funny the first time. You won't catch me laughing if you're late again." He said the last part menacingly as he walked towards Mikau.  
  
The Zorian Hero felt his arm blades growing twice, then three times their normal size in response to danger as the intimidating Zora drew nearer. The fins grew subconsciously from instinct, without their owner actually willing them to extend. Mr. Bayn took hold of Mikau's wrist, and the arm blades suddenly extended to full size; their knife-edge glinting in the sunlight that filtered through the windows. Mikau looked up nervously, and perhaps angrily, at the large Zora towering over him. But Mr. Bayn was smiling.  
  
"So, it's the Zorian Hero! Ready for action, I see." He casually flung Mikau in the direction of the other students and removed a clipboard from his belt. "You must be Mikau Lorecrest, if I remember correctly. Stand in line, Lorecrest! The rest of you, too!"  
  
The students obediently and quickly assembled into a line facing their coach, who withdrew a pencil from his ear. "Alright, now that all you kids are here, let's straighten out who all of you are. Ahem... Tyyanna Aleree! ...Rein Atu! ...Rego Cormes!" With each name yelled, the corresponding Zora would call out an affirmative and Mr. Bayn would make a mark on his clipboard.  
  
Mikau used this time to check out his fellow students. Predictably, there were no Bottom-feeders in this crowd of athletes. The class consists of mostly males, but the few females looked extremely capable of handling their own weight. One of them, who's either a Hylian Zora or a girl with no sense of modesty, was already attracting the attention of many of her fellow Zoras. She's not very big, but looked as lean as nails and probably just as tough. Glances in her direction were repaid with glares of pure venom.  
  
"...Mikau Lorecrest!"  
  
Mikau snapped to attention. "Here!"  
  
"...Altress Mith!"  
  
The female looked up and yelled, "Here!" So. Altress is her name.  
  
There was another person that differed from the generic Zora. Instead of the normally pale-blue color, this guy has skin in shades of rock brown to stone grey. His eyes are small and narrow, and his nose is nothing but two small slits in the middle of his face. Now, if the normal Zora resembles a dolphin, Mikau looks like a shark, and Tijo is considered to be a bloated sting ray, then this Zora would be a moray eel. The tail at the back of his head doesn't flap up and down, but swishes side to side. It's also lacking in a fluke, like Mikau, but instead is slightly tapered and flattened at the end, like an eel's tail. He seemed somewhat vacant; he stared at the floor and gave no outward indication that he's aware of his surroundings.  
  
"...Evan Wake!"  
  
The Zora suddenly lifted his chin and puffled out his chest, seemingly full of confidence. "Here!" He said forcefully. Mr. Bayn nodded and yelled out the next name. Evan dropped his head and continued his contemplation of the floor. As Mikau watched the Zora, he thought Evan to be a pretty reclusive character, and probably has no friends in this class to talk to.  
  
"Alright, you kids!" Mr. Bayn bellowed. "Welcome to the Phys Ed class! Now that I know you, you should know me. Call me Mr. Bayn. I rule this gym, and I have only two rules: you treat me and everyone else with respect, and you do your damnest best! You will obey these rules, and you will obey me during this class, or you will face..." His voice lowered considerably. "...the consequences." The easily intimidated, were. Then the coach's tone changed considerably into a gleeful one. He clapped his hands together once. "So, now that you all know me, you should all know each other! Go on, ask some questions, make some friends! I, on the other hand, still need to get some breakfast." And with that, the coach left the gym, leaving the students to their own devices.  
  
Mikau finally had time to put his stuff away. While he walked towards the storage shelves, the bubble rolled along behind him rather than floating like it would in water. Making sure the bubble and his guitar were safe and out of the way, Mikau turned back towards the class. It seemed as if everyone was already immersed in idle conversation. That is, except Evan. His head is down and is arms are crossed. His body language appears to say, "I'm not interested. Leave me alone." So, like an idiot, Mikau walked up to him.  
  
"Hey," Mikau said to Evan, smiling profusely.  
  
"Hey," Evan replied without facing Mikau. A beat later, he did look up. Mikau noticed that he tends to raise his chin when he talks to people, almost as if he was looking down his non-existant nose at them. Evan attempted to say something, then thought otherwise and returned his gaze to the floor. Mikau frowned. Well that sure went well.  
  
A bit of small chat with a few other Zoras revealed nothing of interest. Mikau would have liked to talk to Altress, but judging by the crowd of boys around her and the look on her face which revealed that she was ready to bite one of them at any time, made him think otherwise. The Zorian Hero found himself beside the eel-like Evan again, who still found the smooth rock floor facinating.  
  
"So..." Mikau ventured. "Looking for rupees?"  
  
"Actually, it would be much nicer if a crab or something crawled by around now. They're worth a lot more than rupees to a starving university student." He looked at Mikau again in that aristocratic manner, chin raised and this time with his arms at his hips as well. His eyes gleamed with interest when they settled on Mikau's hands. "You're a guitarist, aren't you?"  
  
"How did you know?" Mikau was surprised. "You saw my guitar, didn't you."  
  
"Not just that. Here, I'll show you. Give me your right hand." Mikau obliged and Evan pointed to the fingertips. "The callous on your hands give it away. See? All serious guitarists have them."  
  
"Hey, you're right! I never noticed them before!" Mikau withdrew his hand partway, but then extended them again. "I'm Mikau Lorecrest." He introduced himself formally.  
  
"Evan Wake." Evan took the hand and shook it. "So, what's a musician like you doing in this school of fish? I thought I was the only non-jock in this class."  
  
"I could say the same about myself." Mikau laughed and posed. "I'm just here to hone my incredibly muscular Zorian Hero body."  
  
Evan smiled, which wasn't much more than a tightening of the lips, but it was clear that he was amused. "I'm here to get rid of this." He patted his slightly rotund stomach. "I spent too much time just sitting at the piano. When I was younger, some people would mistake me for a Bottom- feeder!"  
  
Mikau found that difficult to imagine. The eel-Zora seemed bulky rather than fat, and only his belly looked misplaced. "You don't look so bad now. Wait a sec, you're a pianist?" Evan nodded. "So what courses are you taking? And in which blocks? We might be in another class together." Exchanging schedule times, Mikau discovered that he'll be seeing Evan again today, during Singing in last block.  
  
When Mr. Bayn re-entered the gym, all conversation immediatly halted. His presence filled the entire echoy room. "Enough chat, kids! Now I want to see what you can do! Follow me, and be quick about it!" The coach led the students to an outdoor underwater track which was lined with coral and kelp to help define it's perimeter. Unlike fields on land, fields underwater need bounderies extending in three dimentions, or else swimmers would stray off the paths.  
  
"Now then, four times around the track! Understood? Then go!"  
  
The waters became a chaos of bubbles and currents as young Zoras kicked their tails, fins and legs into sudden action. Mikau watched as some of them raced ahead of the school while others powered into a pace they can keep for the whole four laps without tiring. Some of them even swam with deliberate slowness, keeping close behind Altress. She is not very fast, but her atonomy allowed her to turn with unnatural agility and grace. She doesn't have a tail, not uncommon for females, but has five pairs of fins running down her body. They relax and contract, making Altress' swimming a pattern of halts and sudden bursts of speed.  
  
Mikau knew he could probably lap everyone easily, but stayed behind to keep Evan company. It turned out to be a lot more difficult than he first thought. Turns out that eel-like Evan snaked from side-to-side to keep moving, while Mikau swims by flopping up and down. They could only trade scraps of conversation when their swimming patterns converged.  
  
"So....where are...you from,...Evan?" Mikau asked when he was near enough to be heard.  
  
"Term...ina. Zora...Hall." Evan replied.  
  
"What?...That's where...I come from!...What se....section did you...live in?"  
  
"The...Sunset...sector."  
  
"Really!" Mikau was impressed. The Sunset sector was usually where the more wealthy and esteemed of the Zoras live. "I'm from...Sunrise sector." Zora Hall is divided into five sections, including the center shopping and tourism district, the northern Head zone, southern Tail zone, western Sunset sector, and eastern Sunrise sector.  
  
The swim around the track passed by much faster with someone to talk to, even though Evan was losing his breath by the end of the third lap. At the end of the swim, Evan let himself sink to the bottom of the track, limp and out of strength. Mikau's Zorian Hero stamina kept him from being tired, and he stretched himself after that vigorous workout.  
  
"So! Still energetic, aren't you, Lorecrest?" Mr. Bayn laughed, slapping Mikau on the back. The water absorbed most of the shock this time, so Mikau didn't fall over. "Well in that case, you can be one of the team captains for Jeeball! You. And...you! Yes, you! Dermeter! You'll be the other captain!"  
  
Oh, sear the shell! Mikau swore silently. Jeeball was one of his most hated games, dispite the fact that he's very good at it. Jeeball is a game much like soccer but underwater, of course. And not only can you move the ball, you can also move the goal. Coordination within a team is extremely important in this game, so that one part of the team controls the goal bowl, one controls the ball, and one deters the opposing team's bowl. Or'qua Dermeter, the female chosen to play against Mikau, took her place opposite of him. She grinned competitively at the Zorian Hero. Mikau smirked in return.  
  
"Lorecrest! Choose someone to be on your team!"  
  
"Alright...Um, Evan!" Mikau felt slightly guilty for not choosing someone with more athletic ability. He didn't want Mr. Bayn to think he is only choosing his friends. But at the same time, he knew if both he and Or'qua picked off the strongest of the class, Evan would be one of the last people chosen.  
  
Or'qua examined Mikau's choice critically, then chose a teammate for herself. She picked a big Zora; not Bottom-feeder big and certainly not nearly as big as Mr. Bayn, but someone that won't be pushed around.  
  
For his second choice, Mikau couldn't resist choosing Altress. She was already extremely exasperated from all the attention she was getting from all the boys, and being chosen because of her lack of clothes further provoked her wrath. Mikau smiled, trying to make her feel better, but that was a mistake. Altress drew her lips back in a thin line which could have been mistaken for a smile, but when no one ohter than Mikau was looking, parted those lips to reveal her Zorian canines. She stood beside Evans, away from the Zorian Hero.  
  
Before long, both teams were established and left to organize themselves while Mr. Bayn fetched the equipment. Or'qua's team was clearly more capable of winning this game, due to a number of poor choices Mikau made. Her team milled about on one side of the field, bored and unfocused, but already confident that they'll crush the opposition. Mikau's team was equally unmotivated, but not quite so optimistic.  
  
"Hey Mikau," Evan tapped him on the shoulder. "Shouldn't we organize our players? I mean, if the other team has the advantage physically, we could at least outsmart them or something."  
  
"Hey, great idea!" Mikau took a breath and called out in Xyrian to his teammates. They gathered around their team leader in anticipation. "Alright," Mikau addressed the crowd. "So you all know how to play Jeeball? Have you all played it before?" A number of affirmatives were called out. "What stratigies do you think we could use? Uh-huh, uh-huh. Yeah, but the other team will simply overpower us if we try that. How 'bout you? Yeah? Okay, but not everyone here plays Jeeball professionally!"  
  
Knowing little about Jeeball stratigies, Mikau tried to ask his team for imput, which turned out to be a bad idea. Their ideas were not the most organized, and no one had any idea how to put them into practice. The crowd lost their interest and began to disperse. Mikau scratched his ear, thinking that his leadership skills were definately not as polished as he thought they were. If only this was a concert, then he could keep them attentive!  
  
"EVERYONE, LISTEN UP!!" A voice pierced the waters and the Zoras on Mikau's team turned towards it. Mikau looked up in surprise. It was Evan. He had his hands to his hips, chin and chest raised, addressing those on his team. His tail flapped behind him like a flag, keeping him a level above the ocean floor and everyone else.  
  
"Now I know that you think you can't win with the other team as strong as they are, right?" Evan's Xyrian voice was extremely loud and commanding. "Well, we can't out-muscle them, but if we work together, then we can out-smart them! You, you and you..." He pointed at a few larger Zoras. "You will secure our goal. Yes, all of you. I expect to rely on skill and speed rather than strength. If they don't get any goals in, they can't win. If they can't win, we don't loose. Now, the five of you..." He motioned to the Zoras with large fins. "You will check those who have control of the ball. Distract them and get the ball in any way you can." Large fins get in the way of sight and have more surface area for the ball to bounce off of.  
  
"Hey! Who died and made you boss?" One Zora remarked.  
  
Evan lowered himself to the ground and stood near that Zora, who was somewhat taller than him. But the eel-Zora had an air of confidence and authority around himself which seemed to make him grow before their very eyes. "Would you like to lead us in my stead?" Evan asked politely. "You can if you want to."  
  
The Zora flicked his tail in annoyance, but everyone else was watching him. "Nah. I just don't want to guard the goal the whole time."  
  
"Oh." Evan considered this for a second. "Well, I think we can play best if you tended the goal. Still...you won't do as well doing something you don't like. Okay. What position would you rather be in? The rest of us can work around it." That other Zora looked interested and named the position he would rather be in. Evan nodded. "Is there anyone else that have a specific role in mind?" A few others came forward and told Evan their preferances. With speed and efficency, Evan organized the entire team into positions of maximum effectiveness that they were all satisfied with.  
  
Evan's leadership skills were amazing. And apparently, everyone else on the team thought so too. People would come up to talk to him now. They were able to return the cocky smirks of those from the other side. Watching the transformation of his own team under Evan's leadership actually made Mikau a little dejected. He was supposed to be the team leader!  
  
End of Chapter 9  
  
A lot of characters were introduced in this chapter, but what the hey, life's like that. I keep introducing characters because I feel that it would be more realistic. After all, there's an infinite number of people that we interact with in real life.  
  
Sigh, Evan is truly a difficult character to build. Those who've played Majora's Mask know that he's supposed to be a 'nervous leader' type, but how do I portray that? Well, this is my best shot at it. 


	10. And the day drags on

Chapter 10  
  
My love once gave a treasure to me  
  
A necklace of pearls from beneath the sea.  
  
Strung with shells and every color of bead,  
  
Of sea-stained sapphire and crimson rubies.  
  
Amongst the most magnificent views any mortal can ever witness, the sight of the sun over the ocean certainly ranks somewhere in the top ten. Early in the day, a golden path drew itself upon the water that leads to the flaming orb. And like pebbles on the path, the tips of Zorian buildings stuck out of the sea like islands, casting long shadows.  
  
Deep below said ocean, and sometime somewhat later in the day, the class of Zoras psyched themselves to play a vigorous game of Jeeball. Mikau's team wore scraps of red colored cloth on their waists or arms to distinguish themselves from Or'qua's team. Their goal basket was also colored red while the other was yellow. A portion of Zoras from each team protected their basket, prepared to rush for the ball, or got ready to fight over their opponent's goal. Or'qua watched the confidence of the other team with growing distress. Surely they knew that they're outpowered? Right in front of her was Mikau, and between them, the ball.  
  
Mr. Bayn paced along the thin line between the two teams. Then he stopped, faced the whole class, and heaved his chest in preperation for one of his blasting speeches. "I trust that all of you sufficiently organized yourselves while I was gone? Well, you might be wondering why I'm having you compete so early in the term. I want to have a better idea of what your abilites are before anything else. You all know the rules to the game, right? Then..."  
  
The coach blew through a small conch tied to his neck, making a shrill whistle. And they're off! The beginning was always the most hectic part of this game. Zoras lunged for the ball or rushed towards the opposite side, sometimes crashing into each other in the process. Or'qua immediatly dug one foot against a rock, pushed on it, and used that power to surge ahead faster than Mikau could swim forward. With one liquid swipe of her tail, she swept the ball over to her teammates.  
  
Mikau clamped his teeth in frustration. His job was to secure the ball, and now the other team's got control of it! All around him, teammates motored their fins feverishly to get between the ball and their goal. The Zorian Hero weaved between ally and foe alike, a skilled fighter jet leaving a trail of bubbles, in attempt to get at the ball.  
  
In his haste, Mikau accidentally smacked into Altress. She hissed at him and discharged a slight electric jolt, making Mikau veer away sharply in pain. He looked at the female Zora with the expression of a kicked puppy. What had he done to deserve this? But by that time, she had already swam further ahead. With a few rapid flaps of her fins, Altress pushed the ball away from the opposing side towards her team's goal.  
  
Altress was somewhat smarter now; she had tied the pieces of red cloth around her bust and pelvis, preventing people from always staring at her. But now she attracted attention with her incredible atheletic prowess. Her fins were small and short, which causes less friction and doesn't get in the way of her arms and legs. And dispite her short stature, she's brutal in her offence! If it wasn't for the restriction of fouls, she would be shoving, kicking and biting those that got in her way. The other team soon learned to respect her in her powers. They kept the ball well away from her or had a few Zoras checking her.  
  
"Mikau! Check that guy, there's no one on him! Rein, watch your tail, it's in front of our goal! You...don't know your name...with the purple fins, go to where Heili is and get ready!" Evan barked orders in shrill Xyrian, and kept his team afloat. They moved with certainty and confidence. The same couldn't be said of the other team, especially when the score crawled towards Mikau's team's favor.  
  
Or'qua watched with grim anger the impending defeat of her team. Why? Her side is obviously the stronger of the two... Her eyes narrowed as they set on Evan. So he's their leader? She thought Mikau was. Or'qua waved her fins and signaled a time out. She gathered her group together for a group huddle. Now, although her team is impressive on the physical side, many of them sacrificed other traits for their strengths. Traits such as...intelligence? Still, they're not used to losing at their own game.  
  
"Ok, everyone." Or'qua addressed her team. "We can't keep this up if we want to win. Can anyone tell me who is responsible for their side getting the upper hand?" Many eyes turned to Evan, who was in the middle of his own team recuperation. "Yes, that's right." Her voice turned sinister. She talked with her teeth bared. "Let's try this. You, you and you." Or'qua pointed to three of the biggest Zoras. "From now on, we'll keep the ball and goals as close to Evan as we can. The three of you will be his personal checks. There'll be so much going on so close to him, he won't be able to keep track of everything. Got it? Yesss, we'll win this!"  
  
The game started again. This time, Evan found himself to be the center of all the activity, and it was difficult to move away with three large Zoras detering his every attempt to withdraw. Mikau's team tried everything to get around this problem. They tried bringing their goal closer to the center of activity and they tried to wrench the ball away from the other team's grasp. But simple strength was Or'qua's team's specialty; they can't just be bullied around like that. Without Evan's insight, it was Mikau, Altress, and a precious few others that kept the team from being completely bowled over. Still, a loss is a loss.  
  
Or'qua's victorious team cheered when the alarm rang, signaling the end of first block. As representitive of her team, Or'qua shook hands with Mikau, but her eyes were on Evan. She smiled and winked at him, making the eel-Zora turn away in embarrassment.  
  
"You've got an admirer, Evan." Mikau teased as he and Evan returned to the gym to retrive their stuff.  
  
"Huh? What are you talking about?"  
  
"Or'qua." Mikau purred. He winked, imitating Or'qua's treatment of Evan.  
  
Evan figeted at that comment. "Um, I'm sure that it didn't mean anything. She's just a good sport." He suddenly barked out a laugh. "Are you jealous, Mikau?"  
  
Mikau grinned outrageously, squeezing his eyes shut. "She is cute." Both friends laughed.  
  
Another Zora ran between the two and slapped Evan's tail with his own. "Yeah, that was a great game! We almost won thanks to you!" He yelled before running off again.  
  
Mikau and Evan stopped and exchanged glances. "Ooookay..." Mikau remaked.  
  
Evan continued walking, scratching his head. "I dunno. Did I really make such an impact on the game? We didn't win or anything."  
  
Mikau snorted. "Admit it. You were awesome! Really! I mean, I was supposed to be the team leader, but if it wasn't for you, we would have been flattened by the other team. Where in the worlds did you learn to lead like that?"  
  
"Oh please, you're feeding me a diet of sugar." Evan said humbly, but it was clear that his head was going to grow too big for his tail. "It's not hard, you just listen to the people and organize their ideas. That's what all great leaders are, catalysts of the people, uniting them into a whole."  
  
Mikau swung his guitar over his shoulder and latched his bubble's cord onto his belt. "Hey, Evan. See ya last block." The two of them flicked tails in parting as they left in their seperate directions. Mikau swam out an underwater passage. But he suddenly felt a tug on his bubble, and before he knew it, was yanked back inside.  
  
"That was a great game, wasn't it, Lorecrest?" Mr. Bayn boomed, bubble cord held casually in one hand. Mikau painfully rubbed his stomach where the pressure on his belt dug grooves into his rubbery flesh. He couldn't think of anything intelligent to say to this giant, so he just waited for Mr. Bayn to start.  
  
"Do tell, Zorian Hero, why did you choose to join the Phys Ed class after you clearly stated that you didn't plan to?" When Mikau tried to stammer out an answer, Mr. Bayn flashed a smile. "No worries, young Hero. I'm not accusing you of lying, just curious, that's all."  
  
"Well, um..." Mikau fidgeted under his coach's seady gaze. "I thought about what you said to me before, and it made a lot of sense. I mean, I have this talent of being a Zorian Hero and all, so I might as well use this ability the best I can."  
  
The teacher beamed. "Good answer, Lorecrest! I'm quite pleased with your choice. It's been more than two decades since I've had a Zorian Hero under my instruction."  
  
"Really?" Mikau was amazed that another Zorian Hero existed other than himself and his mom. "Who is he? What's his name?"  
  
Mr. Bayn's face scrunched up in disapproval and Mikau was instantly fearful that he had said something wrong. "HER name is Filelliquy Ugin. I believe she moved to Termina soon after she finished university here."  
  
"Oh... OH!" Mikau barked out a laugh and immediately stopped himself, thinking that he might be too robust. "I know her! Mr. Bayn, did you know that she got married soon after arriving in Zora Hall?" The coach looked interested. "Yep, she got married to Dene Lorecrest. Filelliquy is my mom."  
  
"WELL, NOW!" Mr. Bayn exclaimed. He slapped Mikau heartily on the back, but for once, took care not to knock him over. "As the tides turn, eh, Hero? Well, next time you see dear Ugin, tell her that Mr. Bayn says that she'd better be practicing her fin exercises every day!"  
  
"Oh, believe me Mr. Bayn, she does!" The two of them shared a moment of laughter before the older Zora gently pushed Mikau outside.  
  
"Hurry up! You have a class to catch!" Mikau waved goodbye to his teacher and swam off into the tangle of university buildings. He felt much more at ease with the burly Zora, now that he knows his mother survived Mr. Bayn's training in the past! Mikau looked forward to tomorrow's lesson with his coach.  
  
The next class for Mikau was Music Compsition and Theory. He felt confident that this class would be a wash for him, but at the same time, he would be competing, and learning, from some of the brightest young minds in music. That includes Japas. Mikau found the art facility easily, the impression of the ammonite-shell building engraved in his mind ever since the tour. Japas was already there, plucking a few riffs out of his Empress crab. A few other Zoras were milling around as well, waiting for the beginning of class.  
  
"Hey, Mikau!" Japas craned his neck to get a better view of his buddy. "It's about time you arrived. Tsk, and I always thought that I was the late one."  
  
"Well, considering how the gym is a five-minute swim from here, and the fact that your last class was Guitar, which takes place RIGHT ACROSS THE HALL, I think me being here after you is pretty reasonable." Mikau popped his bubble and took out some sheets of paper and a reed pen which he placed on a music stand. He peeked over Japas' shoulder. "What's that music you're playing?"  
  
Japas grabbed a handful of papers from his music stand and slapped them on Mikau's chest. The papers were white and crisply new, a few minutes ago. In Japas' care, they were already becoming wrinkled and worn. "This is something my guitar teacher just gave me. Nice, but a little too easy."  
  
"Yeah?" Mikau placed the mistreated sheets on his stand and smoothed them out. He took a seat at one of the many wooden chairs strategically placed so that they're all facing a podium at the front of the room. The chairs were all glazed with some sort of protective substance due to the fact that wooden items tend to rot after a few years in the constant humidty of the ocean. He studied the notes as he tuned his guitar. "Who's your teacher? Would it happen to be the same one I have next term?" Mikau pointed to a square on his timetable.  
  
"Yeah, Lady Tarance. She's the one. Oh, there she goes." Japas pointed out the door and Mikau caught a glimpse of a tall Zora woman walking past.  
  
The Zorian Hero shrugged, his interest now greater in the music placed in front of him. Very simple chording in this piece, but Mikau found it satisfying to read contemporary music rather than always playing folk songs, classical, and stuff that he wrote himself. Recently, not a lot of new music found it's way into Mikau's collection of songs.  
  
The room slowly filled up with Zoras, some of them weilding instruments like Japas and Mikau, but most brought nothing more than pens and paper. The room itself was one above the tideline, as all music rooms must be. The perimeter had a ditch filled with constantly cycling water for students to rehydrate themselves if their skins become too dry. Carved into the very rock of the walls, were shelves and shelves of paper which Mikau longed to dig through. No doubt they contain songs from all over the world!  
  
The alarm that signaled the beginning of second block eventually rang. At that very moment, a rather thin (!) Bottom-feeder entered the room. He was so gaunt that a neck was clearly defined on his person and he could walk with more speed than heavier Bottom-feeders. He looked rather frog-like with his large mouth and bulging eyes. And by the tidy way that he dressed and his apparent age, the students in the room could tell that he would be their new teacher. His clothing included a vest made of some unusual fibers and a tie. He struggled with a large briefcase that almost dwarfed him in size. The Zora made his way to the podium at the front of the room and leaned his ridiculously large briefcase against it.  
  
"Students! Take a seat; class has started!" The teacher picked up a coral stick and rapped it against the podium to get the students' attention. His voice is low and gravelly, as if he damaged his voice through constant yelling or smoking. Mikau cringed at that voice as if it were a physical blow. To think that he'll have to put up with that voice for a whole year! Japas swallowed and subconsciously rubbed his throat, trying to imagine what it feels like to emit such a croak from his esophagus.  
  
Most students obliged with the teacher's command and looked to find a vacant seat. However, they were apparently not fast enough.  
  
"IMMEDIATELY, students! You should all have been in your seats at the MOMENT the bell rang!" Now he whacked the coral stick against the podium so hard, it was in danger of breaking in two.  
  
"Who do you think ate his anchovies this morning?" Japas muttered to no one. Mikau hissed at him to be quiet. This was typical of Japas: no respect for authority.  
  
Students were sullenly quiet as they assembled themselves, silently disapproving of their teacher's attitude. He ignored them and removed a pair of spectacles from his briefcase, placing them on his snout. "Welcome, students, to Music Composition and Theory. This is not Music Composers and Theories, so check your timetable to make sure you are in the right room." One Zora looked surprised when he glanced at his schedule, and sheepishly packed up his belongings and left. A few others snickered, and were rewarded with the sound of coral on wood.  
  
"SILENCE! None of that in my class!" The teacher was again tormenting his stick of coral. "Settle down, students, settle down. Now that we are all sure we are in the correct classroom, we should start with the introductions. I am known as Professor Iciirri. Yes, that is how it is pronounced, E-CEE-EER-REE. I have been teaching at Seafifth University for perhaps 38 years of my life, and I am here to coax out of you the peak of your musical abilites. In the past, my prize students have always earned top positions in the music industry. For example, Ms. Weicher, one of the Guitar teachers here, used to be a student of mine, as were three members of the famed Indigo-gos. I am sure you have heard of them?"  
  
Mikau and Japas both jerked at the mention of the famous Zora band, the Indigo-gos, as did nearly all the other Zoras. Was Prof. Iciirri truly that great of a teacher? If he could really draw out the best musical talents, Mikau thought that putting up with his grating voice just might be worth it.  
  
"Students, raise your hand to indicate that you are here." The professor wielded a clipboard which apparently all teachers were given and started monotonously listing off names.  
  
During this time, one advantage of Japas' long fins became apparent. No one could tell that he was actually falling asleep behind the natural veil covering his eyes. That is, all except Mikau, who knew all too well that the dumb smile plastered on his friend's face ment that he's in a state of non-response.  
  
"...Japas Sycrune." The professor called out and waited for a response.  
  
Mikau poked Japas. He woke with a start and fell out of his chair while yelling, "I'm here!" The class laughed in response.  
  
The professor's reaction was predictable enough. "Cease the theatrics! SETTLE DOWN!" With one final smash on the podium, the coral stick broke in two; one piece flipping in the air before clattering on the floor. The students roared. Without skipping a beat, Prof. Iciirri tossed the broken coral away and withdrew another one from his briefcase. Then he took a breath. "ENOUGH!!!"  
  
This time, the students all cringed at his voice. It seemed to penetrate their eardrums and vibrate their insides. Japas sat back in his chair and rubbed his temples in pain. "Goddesses, I won't be surprised if Prof. Icky attracts a few Dodongos in heat." He muttered under his breath. Mikau snickered at that comment but dug his fingers into Japas' arm to keep him quiet, lest he further provoke Prof. Iciirri's throat from Hell.  
  
The rest of the attendance went without a hitch. By now, most of the students got the message that Mr. Iciirri was one cranky Bottom-feeder that everyone would probably antagonize, but tried not to do so so early in the semester. Soon after the professor finished listing off the names, he handed out textbooks to everybody. Mikau and Japas flipped through the worn pages eagerly, thinking inspiration and knowledge would jump out at them. They were disappointed when they found the book to be full of mostly text and only snippets of music for examples, nothing which can actually be played.  
  
Prof. Iciirri instructed the class to turn to a certain page to review basic theory. Neither Mikau or Japas ever recieved formal music training other than the basic necessities, but pretty much figured out everything on their own. This lesson could have been of use to the two Zoras, that is, if they managed to stay awake the whole time! The music teacher just droned on and on...and he didn't even attempt to make his presentation entertaining. Japas was inclined to fall asleep again, with his hair hiding his eyes. Mikau read the music in his textbook and wrote in his own version of the completed score. Needless to say, time passed very slowly in this classroom. When the alarm rang, sleepy Zoras suddenly jumped up, awake and full of energy. Not only can they leave this class, but now is the moment that young university students live for.  
  
Lunchtime!  
  
End of Chapter 10  
  
This fanfic is taking much longer than I expected. I'm currently writing at the rate of one class per chapter, and there are four classes for Mikau, Japas, Tijo and Evan to endure each day! Stay tuned for lunch hour and the remaining two classes, which will take, oh, maybe another month for me to write. Oh well, at least it's summer now, and I have plently of free time. 


	11. Introduction to a lady

Chapter 11  
  
Roads are deep and waves are high  
  
Water's endless, paths worn wide.  
  
Those who live within the sea  
  
Destinies shifting with the tide.  
  
The cafeteria was located in the center of the university and was now the center of activity more than ever. If the movement of students could be captured on a time-stop camera, it would look like particles of blue imploded into the cylindrical grey building the moment the alarm rang, signaling the end of second block. Being made of granite, the cafeteria was pretty nondescript, but housed some of the happiest Zoras within a ten-mile radius.  
  
Tijo was not one of them. He carried a tray piled high with mashed Biri and Tekiggas while he wandered around, trying to find Mikau or Japas. But the three floors of the cafeteria were crowded with Zoras, some of them wearing colorful clothes so that not even Mikau's unusual tattoos stood out in the crowd. With a sigh, Tijo found an empty seat and settled down to lunch, alone.  
  
Because Mikau and Japas had the previous class together, they had no problem finding each other for their midday meal. They chose the top floor, which was out of the water. Mikau had a thing for bubbles; his lunch consisted of gas pockets from fucus and near-transparent Shabom babies. (Yes, they CAN be eaten!) Japas was experimenting with a new type of dish brought back by travelers from the East. It consisted of rice and fish and other ingredients wrapped in a paper-like sheet of seaweed. It's believed to be called 'sushi'.  
  
"Mikau the rebel, hm? I thought you're against the whole vandalism thing." Japas commented as he flipped through Mikau's theory textbook, which now had much more music written on the pages than before. Music that had been scrawled on hastily with reed pen.  
  
Mikau smiled, dimpling at the cheeks. "Please, they're wasting of good paper on that trashy text." He bit into a Shabom and sucked out it's juices when it exploded with a satisfying 'pop!'.  
  
"Nayru's mercy, I can't even breathe with Prof. Icky's voice in the same room with me. It sucks out all the oxygen, know what I mean?"  
  
"'Prof. Icky'? That's good." A strange voice commented.  
  
Mikau and Japas turned to face the speaker. He turned out to be a large Zora. Not as big as Mr. Bayn, but he has a few features that made him more sinsiter in appearance. Gaunt yet muscular, his eyes and fin-tips were black and uneven. His body sported a number of tattoos, but unlike Mikau's, they were drawn with knife, not paint. Overall, he had the looks of a person Mikau would rather not associate with. Japas on the other hand, couldn't care less.  
  
Japas swivled around in his seat, one arm draping over the chair. "Yeah? You've had him before too?"  
  
The Zora didn't smile, but analyzed Japas critically from the corner of his eye. He decided Japas was worthy of his attention. "Ran into him once." Now he smiled, but it was more like a sneer. "Name's Rotan."  
  
"Japas." Japas mirrored Rotan's sneer. "So how do you like the first day of university?"  
  
Rotan barked out a laugh in Xyrian, which made Mikau cringe. Speaking Xyrian airside was considered rude as swearing, since Xyrian carries far and sounds shrill in air. Thankfully, not many people noticed in the din of the cafeteria. Still, a few offended stares were aimed his way.  
  
"Moron. My father and I work here as groundskeepers. I don't school here, just work and eat."  
  
Japas ignored Rotan's crude manner. In fact, he looked amused. "Yeah, I'm not really here for the so-called education. It's the music I'm into."  
  
"Hmph. A musician, are you? Know anything by DemiDemonic?"  
  
"Oh yeah! Goddesses, if you want controversal, that's where you look!"  
  
A conversation spawned between Japas and Rotan. During this time, Mikau ate in silence, left out of the discussion; not that he really wanted to join in. DemiDemonic was the type of band that sparked anger amongst all but the teens who consider themselves 'hardcore'. Why would Japas be interested in that kind of music? Mikau certainly wasn't. And this Rotan person... Japas always had a problem finding friends. But someone like this punk would only be a bad influence on him.  
  
Mikau blinked. Why would he be worried about Japas? He's certainly not Japas' mom, for crying out loud. No, but a friend enough to care.  
  
The bell signaling the next class rang and legions of Zoras marched out of the cafeteria. Rotan left in his own direction while Japas and Mikau were disposing the remainants of their lunch.  
  
"Hey Japas," Mikau quickened his pace to keep up. "What's with that Rotan guy?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Japas asked, clueless as usual.  
  
"His attitude! Not to mention the way he looks. If you ask me, he's not the kind of guy I'd like to talk with or even be near."  
  
Japas threw back his head and laughed, as if what Mikau said was totally ridiculous. "Oh, c'mon!" Japas pranced ahead and faced Mikau. He flung his arms out and nearly hit someone in the process. "Look at me! At first glance, am I really the ideal image of a Zora?"  
  
Mikau had to admit that Japas had a point there. He remembered when the two of them were in Termina, Japas would constantly be under the scrutiny of others for his looks and his past. He was loudmouthed and often obtrusive. His uncut fins attracted negative attention. He lived with his dad who became messed up after the forceful seperation of Zoras and Gerudos. He has been essentially living on his own for the past six years, and who knows what he's been up to.  
  
"You're right." Mikau admitted. "You can't judge a person too fast."  
  
Japas lifted his chin hautily. "Ain't I always right?"  
  
"Mikau! Japas!" The two Sleeks caught sight of Tijo waving madly at them and attempting to fight the tide of oncoming Zoras. "Where have you been? I've been trying to find you two!"  
  
"Oh, we were over there." Japas waved his hand in some random direction. This time, he succeeded in smacking someone.  
  
"Ow! Hey, watch it!"  
  
"Oh, sorry!" Tijo and Mikau stifled a laugh.  
  
"So can I find you here tomorrow?" Tijo continued. "Then we can eat lunch together."  
  
Mikau nodded. "Sure thing. Say hey, don't you have Script with me right now? C'mon, we'll head for the language building."  
  
"Japas," Tijo inquired. "What course do you have right now?"  
  
Japas made a face. "Natural History. Ew." Japas was never one to appreciate the academics. "Well Mikau, I'll see you last block for Singing!" And with that, he rushed off and disappeared into the crowd.  
  
The outside of the cafeteria reminded Mikau of schools of spawning salmon. Zoras were swimming slowly in long chains, following invisible yet predesignated paths towards their next class. They swam at different altitudes and in different directions, chaotic in their design but somewhat efficient. Sort of like Toronto freeways. Mikau and Tijo found themselves swept up in one of these well-traveled paths since it was easier to follow them than to blaze a trail of their own.  
  
"Say, Tijo." Mikau asked. "Do you know where the language building is? I sorta skipped out when I was taking the tour."  
  
"Ah. This way." Tijo snuck out of the main lane into a smaller stream of Zoras, which soon converged with several others to become a large highway. Mikau found that following Tijo was somewhat frustrating. Here was a Sleek, a Zorian Hero Sleek no less, following a slothy Bottom-feeder. Mikau itched to zip ahead of his friend.  
  
The language building was considerably taller than most of the university buildings. It was farther from the tideline so extra height was needed to accommodate above-water rooms. Mikau suspected that the top floors were reserved for books and paper that are prone to excess humidity. At a glance, the building was simply a long, cylinder tube that rised airside and beyond. To curb his curiosity, Mikau leaped out of the water to see how far the tube extended. To his surprise, the cylinder didn't just extend and stop, like he expected it to, but it branched out like a tree. At the end of every 'branch', a 'bubble' emerged where the rooms are probably stationed. Mikau marveled at the building's design.  
  
Mikau and Tijo's Script class was in an underwater room, the first one Mikau's been in today. Underwater rooms are a bit different from airside rooms in their design and efficiency. For example, shelves are not located against the walls, but are carved into the ceiling, and differently shaped taking gravity into account. Instead of chairs and desks, there are strong-stemmed lily pads for writing on, and masses of seaweed all over the place for students to anchor themselves to.  
  
Nobody was currently at the lillies. After all, who wouldn't want to enjoy their last moments of freedom before the teacher arrives? The bell rang and some of the most obedient Zoras tethered themselves near a lily. The rest of them decided that lunchtime break lasts as long as the teacher doesn't arrive.  
  
Mikau and Tijo were part of the former group. "Mikau, we should find our seats. We don't want all the good spots to be taken!"  
  
And so, while Mikau floated in the water, ankle tied to keep from floating away, and Tijo drummed his fingers on his lily like a drum, the teacher still didn't arrive. Well, that's what everyone thought, until a young Zora who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed cleared his throat.  
  
"Students, you should know by now that the bell indicates the end of lunch break." He said in a professional voice. "I expected all of you to be at a lily presently."  
  
The students who were still free-floating stared at him weirdly. This Zora certainly didn't look like a teacher. There's nothing at all unusual about him save for the fact that he's very...nondiscript. The type of person that easily blends into crowds. He was as young as everyone else in the room and wore nothing to indicate his postion. Actually, he's not wearing anything at all, but that's not at all unusual for a male Zora. On a side note, all the females were wearing clothes by now. Those who came from Hyrule had improvised garments while those that lived in the ocean had more fashionable clothes.  
  
The Zora swam to the coral table at the front of the room. This table was more elegant than anything else in the room and look as if it was grown to order, not carved. Once tethered behind this table, the Zora took an air of dignity that made every student realize that he was indeed their new Script teacher. He balanced a pair of reading glasses on the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Perhaps I should introduce myself. I am Prof. Shar." The professor spoke softly and formally, with his hands clasped together. "Don't worry too much about being late today, I'll ignore it. After all, I too was young recently."  
  
A few students laughed softly. Was this Prof. Shar's version of a joke?  
  
The professor continued. "Yes, I suppose I appear ages lacking compared to the other teachers of this university. It is true that I graduated with a Script major a mere four years ago with honors. And not long after, when the professor I once studied under passed away, I was called upon to take her place."  
  
Students glanced at each other. Those that understood Prof. Shar's learned speech were a bit unsettled by his life-story-in-a-nutshell. So someone died here in the last four years?  
  
Prof. Shar withdrew a clipboard and reed pen from the table. "Now that I have introduced myself, all of you should do the same. When I call out your name, please introduce yourself and mention something interesting about your person." Some of the students groaned in complaint. "Now, now. This is an effective ice breaker. There may be some in here that you would otherwise never communicate with unless you find something in common."  
  
The young professor straightened his papers and cleared his throat before reading off the names. "Soel Are." A buff-looking Zora raised his hand. "Well?" Prof. Shar asked. "Would you like to introduce yourself further?"  
  
The Zora stood up nervously. "My name is Soel, and I used to round up Biri with my dad." He said in a Xyrian baratone, which matches a female's airside alto in pitch.  
  
The Script teacher nodded. "Thank you, Soel. Next on the list is... Tira Crossimmer."  
  
A petite Zora straightened herself before speaking. "I'm Tira. Umm, my grandfather saw a Windfish once."  
  
Everyone pretty much got the drill after that. During Tijo's turn, he told the class that he visited Xyria with his family before. When Mikau's name was spoken, he introduced himself as a Zorian Hero. Those who were too ignorant to tell by his appearance, 'ooo'ed and 'aaah'ed when they finally clued in to Mikau's heritige.  
  
The last person to go was a Sleek that Mikau hadn't noticed because she was sitting directly behind him. Mikau turned around to get a better view of the Zora, but found himself closer to her than comfortable. Surprised, he backed away.  
  
From the matching skirt and wrap she's wearing, Mikau guessed that this Zora comes from Termina. Such clothes were all the rage in Zora Hall during the last months Mikau lived there. The girl doesn't have a tail, but large, flowy fins grew from her shoulders and draped down her back, past her hips. These fins twitched and churned the water in accordance to smaller fins that emerged just below her knees. She had the blunted hammer- like head with vestigial eyes that some Zora females have, but her main eyes were unusual among Zoras. They have pupils. Most Zora's eyes look like large, unicolored gems imbedded in their heads, but this girl's azure pupils were distinguishable from the whites. Her eyes made her face look less mysterious, but so much more expressive. Those sea-deep eyes focused on Mikau for a moment, then darted up expectantly at the teacher.  
  
Prof. Shar reached the last name on the list. "And finally... Lulu Zeracotta."  
  
The girl nodded her head in acknowledgement. "My name is Lulu..." Mikau did not hear what she said afterwards. No matter how hard he tried, he was unable to concentrate on the words she's saying. How could he, when her voice is so sweet, so pure? The moment those delicate lips parted, Mikau was captivated. Even underwater, even in Xyrian, the words she produced entranced Mikau, who was especially prone to Lulu's angelic voice due to his musical background. He sank gently onto his lily pad with a contented sigh.  
  
"Hey, Mikau? You're zoning out." Tijo, who was beside Mikau, poked his friend.  
  
"Aaah! I was?" Mikau shook himself, clearing his mind. Before turning to the front of the class, he stole one last look at Lulu. She finished her introduction and settled down. A few murmurs sparked when she finished, but Mikau could not figure out what they were about. What was the subject of her introduction that everyone was talking about?  
  
"Thank you, Lulu. That is very interesting." Prof. Shar commented with mild, but genuine surprise. He took out a pile of books and placed them on his desk. "I understand that most other faculties in Seafifth loan their students free textbooks and other materials. However, the language department is underfunded this year, therefore we ask our students to purchase their own materials. Textbooks cost ten rupees each. Please bring the money tomorrow, that is, unless you can afford the purchase presently."  
  
Mikau rummaged through his bubble and came up with twelve rupees. He decided to save his emergency money rather than spending most of it here; he could always bring some more tomorrow. Tijo had thrity rupees on him, so he bought a book and shared it with Mikau for the day.  
  
Prof. Shar straightened his glasses. "For those of you already possessing the book 'Standard in Script', you have the option of reading ahead of your peers. At the moment, we shall be concentrating on chapter 4, which details the essentials of communicating in the written form..." And so the class progressed.  
  
Mikau was perhaps a lower/average student in Script, but his mind really wasn't interested in advancing his writing skills. The echo of Lulu's voice was starting to fade in his mind. Mikau longed to hear it again. Finally, he decided to sneak another glance at her.  
  
Mikau turned around, and found Lulu's arms proping up her chin on the lily pad. She was looking right at him. Dispite being in the water, Mikau felt his lips go dry in embarressment, like a kid who got caught stealing candy.  
  
"Can I help you?" Lulu asked nonchalently. She looked sleepy or bored, but the hint of music still played on the fringes of her voice. Her fins flapped.  
  
Dispite the awkward position he's in, Mikau tried to make the best of the situation. "I couldn't help noticing your voice." He took a breath, hoping that his nervousness didn't show through. "I gotta admit, your voice is the most beautiful sound that ever reached my ears." Mikau winced mentally as soon as he said that. Sure, he wanted to be on Lulu's good side, but he doesn't want to sound like he's sucking up to her or anything.  
  
Still, a woman's a woman. A touch of flattery melts their resolve. Lulu turned an interesting shade of purple and smiled shyly. "Thank you. It runs in the family."  
  
Seeing her response, Mikau grew confident. "Lulu is a pretty name! Just like the name the name of the lead singer in the Indigo-gos! Did anyone ever tell you that you look just like her?"  
  
Lulu's smile disappeared as quickly as it came and she flopped onto her lily. "Actually, Lulu of the Indigo-gos is my mother. Didn't I already say that to the whole class in my introduction?"  
  
Mikau realized that he messed up. As he stuttered and tried to recover from his error, the bell for the next class rang. Lulu beamed, as if immensely relieved. With a kick, she zipped up and over Mikau and swam out the door, a length of seaweed still tied to one ankle. Mikau looked on, dejected. Was she that eager to get away from him? She must think he's a moron.  
  
"Nice going."  
  
"Tijo? You saw that?" It was embarressing enough to act a fool in front of a girl, but doubly so with someone watching.  
  
"Didn't you pay attention?" Tijo asked with a wry smile. "She already said she's the daughter of Lulu of the Indigo-goes in her introduction."  
  
"Well..." Mikau attached his bubble to his belt. He paused as if the idea just occured to him. "Hey, wait. Wait a sec! Her mom is a member of the Indigo-gos! Holy Mother of Pearl! That is so cool!" Mikau had always admired the music group the Indigo-gos, who sparked the interest of music in him when he was still a child. Every Zora's heard of them, especially those in Termina. They're the pride of Zora Hall. "Hey, do you think I can ask Lulu for her mom's autograph?"  
  
Tijo rolled his eyes. "Say, what class do you have next?" He asked, abrubtly changing the subject.  
  
"Oh. Singing. Japas is gonna be there too."  
  
"Too bad I can't take Singing." Tijo sighed. "You know how it is. Bottom-feeders sing like frogs."  
  
"Nah. I'd say you sound more like a Goron." Annoyed, Tijo gave him a look. Mikau swallowed. "Umm...I guess I'll see you after classes, back at the dorm."  
  
Tijo laughed at Mikau's reaction. "Alright. Later, man."  
  
End of Chapter 11  
  
So. Lulu's finally in the picture. Now I can work on the 'romance' part of this story that has been absent up 'til now. Oh shoot, did I just spoil it for people who haven't played Majora's Mask? Well, too bad! 


	12. Sing your heart away!

Chapter 12  
  
History's like a river  
  
Or a drum's slow beat.  
  
Pulsing notes deliver,  
  
Waking waves repeat.  
  
Mikau headed back to the arts faculty again to attend his last class of the day: Singing. He was never very good at singing, though. It takes a special Zora to sing because lungs are sort of an afterthought for the species. This was the only Singing class this year, and it includes students of all grades and levels. There's not enough people for more than one class. Mikau felt that singing was essential to his music career since it's music produced by nothing more than his own body. His body was an insturment that he can take anywhere, effortlessly. Music this pure adds insight to his overall abilities as a musician.  
  
The Zorian Hero also looked forward to next block because both Evan and Japas would be there. He wanted to introduce them to each other.  
  
Once again, his classroom was in one of the top, airside rooms reserved for music courses. When Mikau emerged from the water surface, he heard a faint, far-off sound. He ignored it at first, but it grew louder as he neared his predesignated room, and he realized that it was a singing voice. A female voice.  
  
"This star of a thousand stars..."  
  
Mikau wondered where the singing was coming from. The closer he came to his room, the louder the voice became. And the louder, the more intoxicating.  
  
"Against the endless velvet night..."  
  
Yes, it is definately from his room. Mikau didn't need to read the numbers on the doors anymore to find his way; he just followed the voice. He started walking faster towards it, then he jogged.  
  
"A beacon in the darkness..."  
  
Mikau wondered if the stories are true; that mystical creatures really exist. Only the song of a legendary Siren could lure men like this. It was as if he suddenly lost control of his body and it blindly surged towards the source of the heavenly sound. He just hoped that he wasn't running into a rocky lee shore.  
  
"Lightens my mind..."  
  
Goddesses, Mikau has never heard music before, not like this. It was beyond sound, beyond anything he had ever experienced.  
  
"Brightens my heart..."  
  
Mikau burst into the music room and the music abrubtly halted. Disoriented, he scanned the room twice before he noticed the Zora standing in the corner. Mikau didn't recognize her at first, but soon realized who it was. Lulu. She sings! Lulu sings! Of course, why wouldn't she sing? With a voice like her's, it would be a crying shame to do anything else. Din, Farore, and Nayru, her voice airside was ten times more pleasant than underwater.  
  
Lulu stared at Mikau, waiting for him to explain his intrusion. Her fins don't twitch as much now that she's on land; instead, they draped down her back like a gauze cape. She tapped her feet, making those silky fins ripple. Mikau thought that he'd better say something to her, and quickly.  
  
"Were you singing? I'm sorry I barged in here. I just wanted to see who it was..."  
  
"So you ran in here without thinking." Lulu sighed. Mikau slumped, thinking that he will never hear her speak pleasantly to him again. But then she cocked her head and her eyes softened. "Yeah, my voice always did have that effect on people. Guess that's the curse of being the daughter of a diva."  
  
"I'm also sorry about last block. I wasn't paying attention so I..."  
  
Lulu looked annoyed again. "Do you have to apologize for everything?" Then she chuckled. Her facial expressions change with the tide. "Actually, I wasn't listening to the introductions either. In fact, I didn't even catch your name."  
  
Oh. Well, that certainly evens things up. Mikau feigned indignity. "You don't even know my name?? Ah! How could you?! Well, for the ignorant of mind and brilliant of voice, my name is Mikau." He took a bow. Lulu laughed delicately, delighted by Mikau's comical performance.  
  
"So you're also a musician, Lulu?" Mikau asked as he chose an empty spot on a bench to sit on. By this time, other Zoras were entering the room. The noise level was rising.  
  
"Uh huh. Of course. It's only expected of me considering how my mom's a member of the Indigo-gos." She sat down beside him. "You like singing too?"  
  
"Actually, I'm more of a guitarist." Mikau replied, almost apologetic. He sighed. "I'm not that good at singing."  
  
"Oh, that's okay. Most Zoras don't naturally sing. My family's been singers for generations."  
  
Mikau sighed again in mock self-pity. "Not fair. All I inherited from my mom are Zorian Hero genes." He flexed his muscles.  
  
"Mikau!" Lulu laughed and looked at him as if he was being ridiculous. "Being a Zorian Hero is good enough!"  
  
"Hey, that song you were singing..." Mikau unstrapped his guitar and tuned it. "It's called 'Neverending Nights', isn't it?" Lulu nodded. "How 'bout you sing, I play?"  
  
"Okay." Lulu stood up and squared her shoulders.  
  
Mikau spun out the opening of 'Neverending Nights' on his fishbone guitar with meticulous care. He didn't want Lulu thinking that he's some second-rate amateur guitarist or anything. Mikau did falter at one point though, when Lulu heaved a breath in preperation for her first line. He stared at her chest for a moment, and wondered at the capacity of air her lungs could hold. He quickly looked down at his hands, blushing purple. He certainly doesn't want anyone interpreting that incorrectly!  
  
Now, when Mikau started playing, many Zoras paused to listen. When Lulu filled the room with her own version of music, all conversation halted. A few started up again, but in hushed voices so they can hear the song. String and voice in perfect harmony. Some Zoras who knew 'Neverending Nights' sang along with Lulu. Hey, this was a Singing class after all.  
  
Like all good things, the song ended. Mikau put his guitar down and exhaled as if relieved. Suddenly, those in the classroom applauded and Mikau and Lulu found themselves to be the center of attention. Mikau had expected many people to go to Lulu to compliment her on her singing, but found himself equally swarmed with new admirers as she was. For some reason, that surprised him. He didn't consider himself to be anything near Lulu's musical ability.  
  
Finally, Lulu and Mikau were left alone again. "Your playing is WONDERFUL, Mikau!" Lulu exclaimed. Her eyes were wide and shining, like she really ment what she said. Mikau was taken aback by the sincerity of her words. Part of him wants to doubt what she said was true, while the other part swelled with pride.  
  
Mikau opened his mouth to say something. At that moment, Lulu's gaze passed over the door to the classroom, then suddenly, her full attention was focused on it. With a wide, excited gasp, she ran towards the Zora who just entered the doorway. The Zora caught sight of the incoming Lulu, opened his arms into which she ran. He caught her at her hips and spun her in the air in what could only be a happy reaction. He kissed her on the cheek as he eased his dizzying spin and released her. She put her arm on his shoulder, he wrapped his tail around her neck. And together they walked towards Mikau.  
  
Even from a distance, Mikau could already tell who Lulu was with. After all, there aren't a lot of brown-grey Zoras swimming around. It was Evan.  
  
The two of them sat down beside Mikau. "Hey, Mikau! Lulu, have you met Mikau yet?" Evan asked Lulu.  
  
"Yes!" She replied. "We had Script together last block!"  
  
"Yeah? He has Phys Ed with me first thing in the morning. Imagine that! He sure gets around a lot!"  
  
"Mikau plays great guitar! You should have come earlier, I was singing while he was playing."  
  
"And I missed it? Sear the shark! You know I would do anything for your singing." Evan smiled tenderly at Lulu and leaned his head on hers. She leaned back.  
  
During this whole exchange, Mikau could only manage to smile and nod. It came as a surprise that Evan and Lulu knew one another, and even more so that they were so comfortable around each other. He realized that he was disappointed, and couldn't figure out why. Now that he thought about it, how could someone as talented, wonderful and beautiful as Lulu not already have a boyfriend? Mikau should have realized that earlier and mentally slapped himself for his ignorance.  
  
Mikau opened his mouth and was just about to add his piece to the conversation, when a great, resounding "MIKAU!!!" was heard in the hallway. A beat later, Japas leaped into the room, aiming straight for the Zorian Hero. He whipped his tail against Mikau's so hard, that it caused Mikau to smack himself with his own tail. Evan and Lulu stared, confused but amused.  
  
"Hi, man! Hey, last block of the day! Don't give up, together we can make it out alive!" Japas slapped his friend on the back.  
  
Actually, Mikau was torn between slamming his head rapidly against the wall and slamming Japas' head rapidly against the wall. So he just sat there and did nothing. Usually, the Zorian Hero would not have any problems with Japas' antics but this was just plain embarrassing in front of his new friends. He seriously considered acting as if Japas was a total stranger.  
  
"Um, hey Evan, Lulu! This is Japas, my friend. Japas. Lulu. Evan." As Mikau said their names, he pointed to their owners.  
  
As soon as Japas set his eyes on Lulu, he smoothed his hair back, as he had a habit of doing. "Afternoon, Waterlily. Are the fins damp lately?" Japas said with an amorous tone. Then, without waiting for a reply, he leaned towards Mikau and whispered loudly. "Mikauuuu, the suave one! Where did you find a catch like this?"  
  
Evan looked annoyed at Japas. Lulu's eyes darted from Mikau, to Evan, to Japas in confusion. If Mikau had hair, he would be pulling it out in frustration by now. This was so embarrassing!  
  
Please, Goddesses! Mikau thought desprately. Give me a tsunami, a shark attack, anything! Any distraction!  
  
And then the teacher walked in. All attention focused on her.  
  
Mikau blinked. Oh well, close enough. Thanks.  
  
The most surprising thing about this teacher was that she's a Bottom- feeder! Plump and short, she waddled into the room as fast as she could, realizing that she's late for class. Undaunted by her speed and the stares from the students, she smiled broadly when she reached the front of the room. Her head turned this way and that to look at everyone, since her eyes were so far apart that her depth perception had to be affected. She sported a single dorsal fin on the top of her head and her tail poked out the bottom of the generic Bottom-feeder dress that she wore.  
  
"Hi!" She announced cheerfully. "Glad that everyone quiets down as soon as the teacher comes in. You are all so well behaved!" The students looked at each other. "I'll be teaching you Singing this semester. I know what you're all thinking: how can a Bottom-feeder be a Singing teacher? Well, I might not be able sing, but I can sure teach it! Oh, did I mention my name? It's Mrs. Yvett." She reached for the attendance clipboard. "You should all know the drill by now. Take a seat and put your belongings in the cubby hole over there. I don't want it crowding the benches." And like every teacher had done today, she started reading out the attendance.  
  
Evan, Lulu, Mikau and Japas sat on a row of benches, together in that order. There were a number of benches in the room at different heights, perfect for a choir.  
  
"So how was your Script class, Mikau?" Japas whispered.  
  
"It was okay. That's where I met Lulu." The Zorian Hero replied.  
  
"She's quite a catch, isn't she?" Japas leered. He crossed his legs and put his hands behind his head as if he was relaxing.  
  
"Stop it." Mikau hissed. "She's already got a boyfriend: Evan. Can't you tell?"  
  
"What?!" Japas jerked up. He stared at Evan and Lulu and for the first time, noticed how close together they were sitting. He seemed taken aback. "Man, I sure feel stupid right now!"  
  
"If it's any consolation, you sure look it." Mikau grinned, comfortable in his own 'relaxed pose'.  
  
"H-e-e-e-y!" Japas cried, his tail flapping indignantly. "I resent that!"  
  
"Oh, I just remembered! Gossip of the day!" Mikau used a hand to cover Japas' mouth. Japas was surprised at first, but didn't resist and waited for Mikau to explain. "You promise not to spaz out when I tell you this?" Japas nodded though his reply came out muffled. "Y'know Lulu? Her mom is Lulu of the Indigo-gos."  
  
Japas froze as he processed that information. Then he tried to scream. He couldn't with Mikau's hand in the way, so he did the next best thing.  
  
"Ow ow ow!! Aaahhh!! Quit it!" Mikau hissed. He twisted his arm in pain but still kept his hand over Japas' jaw. Those jaws were clamped over one of Mikau's fingers.  
  
"Is Japas Sycrune around?" Mrs. Yvett called out.  
  
Mikau had to let got of Japas' face so Japas could answer. Which he did. "THAT IS SO COOL!!" He yelled. Everyone laughed and/or stared at Japas. Mikau shook out his injured hand and tried to surpress his embarressment, with little success.  
  
"Well, now!" The teacher seemed delighted. "It's good to know we have someone so enthusiastic in our class!" Mrs. Yvett continued listing off names. Mikau grabbed Japas' tail and turned him so that they're facing each other.  
  
"Goddesses, man! Was there any moment in your life that you're not making a scene?!" Mikau said in a low voice.  
  
"Hmm..." Japas wrinkled his brow in deep thought. "Not in recent memory. Hey, do you think I can ask Lulu for her mom's autograph?"  
  
"If you want, you can just ask." Lulu said softly.  
  
"Gaah! Were you listening to us the whole time??" Mikau cried.  
  
"No, I started just now. Here." Lulu reached into a fold of her wrap and withdrew two pieces of paper. She handed them to Mikau and Japas. "These are autographs from my mom. I keep 'em around for bribes and stuff, but I hope they'll do for new-friend presents."  
  
"Oh, thank you so much!" Japas looked like he was going to cry. "I'd kiss you right here, but I'll have to get through Evan first."  
  
Lulu blinked. Evan stretched his neck out. "Huh? What's going on? Did someone say my name?"  
  
"Alright!" Mrs. Yvett exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Now we can get to the fun part! How many of you have been in a choir or took singing lessons before?"  
  
Evan and Lulu raised their hands. Japas shot his arm up so fast, that it flicked Mikau's ear. "Ow! You fish! Hey, you never took lessons or been in a choir!"  
  
"No? We did that concert thing years back. I consider it a two person choir." Japas grabbed Mikau's wrist and raised his hand for him.  
  
"Lovely!" The choir teacher clapped her hands together again. "Then this class should be no problem for all of you! We'll begin warm up exercises right now. Everyone, stand up! Raise your hands and take a deep breath...release it while you lower your arms, like this..."  
  
After fifteen minutes of breathing exercises, Mikau was getting bored. He never warms up before he sings. Lulu on the other hand, grew more relaxed and focused. To her, singing warm-ups were like the calm before the storm, with her being the storm.  
  
Mrs. Yvett walked over to a piano at the side of the room, and played a series of notes on it. "Now sing this, in whichever octave suits you best. Males will probably want to sing lower than females." Mikau sang quietly, so he could hear Lulu's voice. Lulu was also singing quietly, so that she won't smother other people's voices. Japas sang his heart out, just for the fun of it all. Evan's voice was rich and deep considering his denser body. His voice was as well trained as Lulu's, but he certainly doesn't have her talent.  
  
"I'm sorry children, but because today is the first day and all, I won't be handing out music." The choir conductor sounded utterly dismayed as she said this. "Now, now! Don't worry, we can do that all tomorrow!" She quickly put in, as if she expected everyone to burst out crying. "For now, we'll establish positions. If you don't know what section you want to be in then stand in the front of the room. I want the baratones to the left, altos in the middle and sopranos to the right."  
  
Evan glanced at Lulu regretfully, then headed for the left. She took a step away from him, looked back once, then continued to the right. Japas went to the front of the room, where all the indecisive people were. But Mikau didn't know where to go. During the concerts in Termina, he would sing the lower parts if there were any, since Japas could be high and squeeky if he wants to. However, Mikau often plays the main or descant parts in guitar, since he's better at it. In the end, he plunked himself with the altos. He'll get a taste of both main and supporting parts there.  
  
Mrs. Yvett turned to the group at the front of the room. "I want you all to sing a C." The students obliged. The conductor walked around the crowd, listening with her fin-rimmed ears, then choosing a position for each Zora according to their vocal range. Japas found himself also among the altos.  
  
Mrs. Yvett held a conducting stick and waved it in the air. "Baratones? Sing this note." She pressed a key on the piano and listened carefully to the result of the combined voices. "That's very nice! Okay stop. Now the altos...Perfect! Sopranos...Very good! As usual, my judgement is perfect!" She praised herself.  
  
Suddenly, the bell rang. "Congradulations!" The teacher cried, throwing her hands up. "You all survived your first day of university! Now go home and get some rest; the real work begins tomorrow!" Mrs. Yvett shooed the students out of the room, which they were more than willing to do.  
  
"WHOO HOO!!" Japas yelled as he dived into the submerged sections of the building. "I'm going to grab something to eat, I'm starving!"  
  
"Didn't you just eat? Isn't there a shell of lobster meat in your pack?" Mikau asked with his arms crossed.  
  
"Oh yeah! I forgot!" Japas flipped onto his back and fiddled with his pack like an otter.  
  
Lulu and Evan swam up to Japas and Mikau. "Mikau, Japas," Lulu started. "Why don't you come over to my dorm? I'll cook everyone a welcome dinner. It'll make us all feel more settled in."  
  
"You cook? You're so talented!" "Food! I'm there!" Mikau and Japas yelled respectively, simultaneously.  
  
Mikau suddenly smacked his forehead. "Oh geeze, I can't! My roommate will be waiting for me back at our dorm!"  
  
"Aww, man. That means I can't go either." Japas hung his head, depressed. Then he looked up. "Hey, how 'bout you guys come over to Mikau's place?"  
  
"Huh? Did I offer?" Mikau asked, clueless. Japas elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow! Oh, yeah. Yeah! Sure you can all come over! I'm sure my roommate doesn't mind."  
  
"Then it's decided." Evan proclaimed. "Dinner at Mikau's!" He turned tail in the direction of the men's dorms.  
  
"Sounds great." Lulu floated in front of Mikau. "I'm sure you'll cook us all a wonderful meal!" She swam ahead following Evan, Japas in tow.  
  
For the moment, Mikau was left behind. He blinked in confusion. "Cook?"  
  
End of Chapter 12  
  
So no one expected Lulu and Evan to be together? Ha, I can break away from the storyline of Majora's Mask if I want to! Hmm, not a lot of Tijo mentioned in this chapter. Ah well.  
  
For those of you dunces at choir, here's a crash course on choir sections. Baratone are low parts usually sung by men. Altos can be sung by both girls and boys, but rarely carry the melody. Sopranos sing the highest parts. And now you know. You learn something new every day. Sure, there's other sections such as Tenor and Mezzo Soprano, but whether or not a choir has them is dependant on the conductor. 


	13. Dinner at the dorm

Chapter 13  
  
I am held by magic bonds  
  
Of which I can not see.  
  
I can not strain  
  
Against these chains  
  
That anchor me to the sea.  
  
Evan, Lulu, Japas and Mikau headed off to the men's dorm for dinner. Though no conversation passed between Mikau and Japas about the matter, the two of them agreed on the former's room because it's bigger and probably cleaner than Japas'. Not that anybody knows for sure; no one but Japas has been in his dorm recently.  
  
The autumn sun blanketed the ocean's waters. Mikau and co. swam close to the surface, occationally leaping upwards, enjoying the warmth of the wind and the silky cool of the water. Evan took the lead while Lulu and Japas followed at a steady pace. Mikau, because he's faster than the others, alternated between first and last, swimming circles around everyone playfully.  
  
Evan chanced to look back at the Zorian Hero. "Mikau!" He cried. "There's a Biri attached to your bubble!"  
  
Mikau spun around and pulled on the cord attached to the bubble which contained much of his stuff. Sure enough, the cup of a mini Biri was firmly pressed onto the bubble's skin, its tentacles waving about in all directions.  
  
"Hey, how did you get here? Aren't you cute?" Mikau cooed. He concentrated electrical energy into a finger and poked the Biri, shocking it. It returned the favor.  
  
"OW!! Damn electric jellyfish!" Mikau shook out his finger in pain. The Biri released the bubble, but Mikau was far from merciful in his condition. He snarled, and crunched the Biri in a snap of his jaws. Chew. Chew. Swallow.  
  
"Oh wow! You ate a live Biri!" Lulu gasped. "I never tried a live one before. What does it taste like?" Mikau mumbled something incomprehensible. His eyes scrunched up in pain.  
  
"Actually, they taste like jalapeno peppers." Japas butted in. "I tried them before, but you can't speak after you eat one. An electric discharge on your tongue tends to render it useless for a while." Mikau muttered and nodded an affermitive.  
  
"Ech. I don't like spicy foods." Lulu stuck her tongue out.  
  
"What?" Evan cried. "Then why do you always cook spicy foods when I come over?!"  
  
"Don't you like them? You always finish everything."  
  
"I eat everything just to be polite!"  
  
"Oh." Lulu shrugged it off. "Oh well."  
  
Evan slumped. His tail waved limply behind him. "Meals of my life wasted." He muttered under his breath.  
  
Japas put a hand on Evan's shoulder, sympathetic. "Women." He said as if that one word carried the universal torment of men.  
  
Evan sighed heavily. "You have no idea."  
  
The gang reached the obtrusive crag of rock that was the men's dormitories. The waters around it were starting to buzz with Zoras returning from a hard day at school. There wasn't a lot of females floating around, since most of the boys didn't know any girls well enough to invite them over yet. Lulu attracted a bit of attention because of this, but certainly not as much as Hylian Zoras at the beginning of the day.  
  
Mikau led the way now. "Ohvah eer." He mumbled thickly. He hadn't recovered from the Biri jolt he recieved. He unlocked his dorm and held the door open for everyone else to enter.  
  
"TIJO!! WE'RE HOOOOOME!!" Japas called out, doing most of the talking for Mikau. No one answered him. "Oh well, guess you're not."  
  
"Hey, this dorm is pretty tidy considering that two frat boys live here." Lulu commented. Mikau was something of a clean freak and Tijo had learned from his fussy mother that messes were not ment to prevail. "I was expecting something less...organized."  
  
Evan flicked her ear lightly with his tail. "Just because your room looks as if a Wolfols chewed through it, doesn't mean all men live in a sty." Lulu put a finger to her lips and hushed him severely.  
  
Mikau grabbed a few strips of tempura eel for his guests and a cup of blue algae for himself. The algae has a lingering aftertaste but heals the throat faster than anything. He sipped at the liquid while everyone else chewed on the eel and chipped away at the ice.  
  
"So, Lulu, Evan." Japas tore a chunk out of his eel and placed his feet on the makeshift table that was really just a wooden box. "I'm sure you guys have met lots of people around today; why'd you decide to hang around with us?"  
  
"Oh, you guys seem interesting enough." Evan shrugged. "And being musicians is a plus. Hey, that Empress Crab guitar is homemade, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah! She's my baby. I carry her around everywhere." Japas held the guitar close to him and stroked it tenderly. "I call her Betty." Mikau was about to whack Japas upside the head for this one-of-many ridiculous comments, but Lulu and Evans started chuckling.  
  
"Man, you're such a riot!" Evans laughed.  
  
"Oh, stop!" Lulu giggled. She kicked Japas gently on the leg.  
  
He jumped up and grabbed Mikau's arm. "Did you see that?!" Japas whispered loudly. "She touched me! Wow! Do you think she likes me?"  
  
Lulu put her hands to her face and dissolved in laughter. Mikau pushed Japas away and was aided by Evan who pulled Japas back by his tail. "Hey, hey, hey." Evan threatened mockingly. "Leave Lulu alone, snakebait!"  
  
"Fine, fine." Japas held up his hands innocently and sat down again. "Hey, did you know it was Mikau that made my Betty? He made his own guitar too."  
  
"Really?!" Both Evan's and Lulu's eyes lit up. They looked to Mikau with eagerness.  
  
"Oh, um...ahem." Mikau cleared his throat. "I don't want to brag or anything..."  
  
"You don't?" Japas slapped his cheek in slack-jawed shock. "In that case, I'll brag for you. Mikau made both our guitars about six years ago, when he was only twelve. He caught the Skullfish himself, though I helped him catch the Empress. I wasn't there when he made the Skullfish, but I'll tell you that for my guitar, he didn't have any experienced help or use any instructions. We worked only from an old sample of an Empress guitar we saw at a second-hand store, and we didn't even take it apart to see it's innards. This guitar...check it out." Japas strummed a chord. "I've seen store-bought instruments perform with less vibrant a sound. And aside from routine mantainence, I never had to go through with any major repairs for my whole six years of owning it. Hey Mikau, don't you want to say something?"  
  
"Uh...The Empress guitar is red? Yeah, most Empress crabs are green! This one's special!"  
  
Japas pulled at his hair, frustrated. "Goddesses, you are pathetic. Here." He shoved the Skullfish guitar at Mikau. "Play a D minor arpeggio."  
  
While the two of them played the notes simultaneously, Mikau noticed that both Lulu and Evan turned their heads slightly, leaning their trained ears closer to the sounds. Mikau also forced himself to listen critically to his own music making. The Skullfish guitar lacked the hollow shell that Japas' instrument has, which produced the low base notes. Dispite that, the two guitars were sweet harmony together. Having the same creator made the two of them match like water and wind.  
  
Japas, on the other hand, noticed things entirely different. He watched Lulu's lovely fin-rimmed ears. They sometimes twitch when she hears a particularly delightful sound, causing her red gem earrings to catch the light. Evan didn't have any ears to speak of at all. There were two slightly off-color dents at each side of his head that passed for ears. Mikau's ears were covered by long, green-tinted fins. At the right angle, he sort of looks like a puppy with floppy ears. Now that he thinks about it, Japas couldn't remember the shape of his own ears. There are many mysteries behind that fin-hair veil of his.  
  
"What do you think?" Japas said proudly, holding out his Betty. "Perfect pitch and better when together!"  
  
Lulu and Evan asked to examine both guitars. They played a few simple chords and studied the craftmanship of both instruments. Neither one of them were guitarists, which was evident by the clumsy way they handled the instruments and the lack of callous on their fingertips, but they knew how to analyze the music.  
  
"I'm no expert," Lulu began cautiously. "And I'm certainly not saying this just to be polite, but these guitars are almost as finely made as Squeemie's instruments." Squeemie was the guitarist for the Indigo-gos. Japas and Mikau looked at each other with pride, idiot smiles plastered on their faces. "Have you guys ever played for an audience?"  
  
"Actually, yes." Mikau absently plucked at his Skullfish's bones. "We did a few amateur performances in the past in Termina. On the shell podium."  
  
"Oh yeah!" Evan clapped his hands together. "I remember! I saw it once! Remember, Lulu? We were there together."  
  
Lulu frowned. "Nope. I can't recall."  
  
Mikau was surprised that Lulu and Evan knew each other for so long. The last concert he and Japas gave was at least six years ago. "How long have you two known each other?" He inquired.  
  
"I dunno." Evan shrugged. "A long time. Lulu and I are..." Evan was inturrupted by the swinging open of the door. Everyone focused their attention on it.  
  
"Mikau, are you home?" Tijo asked as he turned to close the door. He hasn't seen the company his roommate invited in quite yet.  
  
"Oh, hey! Tijo!" Mikau rose to meet his friend. "I've got some guests over; is that okay with you?" The Sleek led the Bottom-feeder to Evan and Lulu. "I'd like you to meet Evan, whom I had first and last block with."  
  
"We've met." Tijo smiled as he shook Evan's hand. "We had Calculations together in second class."  
  
"Yeah? And this is Lulu. Remember her from Script? She's also in my Singing class."  
  
Tijo held out his hand, palm up, into which Lulu gingerly placed her own. He brought her hand close to his lips and mimed a kiss on top. "A pleasure, my lady. This moment of our meeting shall forever be engraved in my memory."  
  
Lulu tittered as she withdrew her hand. "Thank you." She said hesitantly, not really knowing what else to say.  
  
Evan raised an eyeridge and frowned slightly, his expression not completely readable. "Slick." He commented.  
  
Tijo shrugged his non-existant shoulders. "It's only proper to be polite to a lady, especially when being introduced." He said nonchalantly. Evan nodded as if he accepted that answer.  
  
"Say, I noticed a set of drums in on of your rooms." Evan started. "You wouldn't also happen to be a percussionist, would you? I play the keyboard."  
  
"Oh really? My drums are a full set from the Hydra Ocean. You've got to see this." Tijo rose and led Evan and Lulu to his room. Japas took the opportunity to grab Mikau.  
  
"You don't have the slightest hint how to cook, do you." Japas' question was more of a statement than anything else. Mikau started to say something, said something else, then ended up saying nothing at all. He hung his head in shame.  
  
Japas wore a satisfied smile and sucked air through his teeth. "You owe me one, buddy." He got up and patted Mikau on the shoulder, then headed for the kitchen. Before Mikau could inquire about what mad scheme his friend's conjuring this time, Tijo and co. returned to the living room.  
  
Evan walked in with his arms crossed, chin raised high in authority. Tijo waddled furiously after the fast-paced Sleek and Lulu followed close behind. "I disagree." Evan proclaimed. "Only the people know what's best for themselves. Through democracy, everyone's opinions are heard and acted upon."  
  
"Ah, but it's so much more chaotic." Tijo responded. "There is no way that everyone can be satisfied, especially when there is nobody to govern the practability of people's wishes. Personally, I'm surprised that Zora Hall still exists without a king or even a mayor." Ah, so the conversation has touched upon the politics of Zoras. This was something Mikau could add an intelligent word to.  
  
"Have you ever noticed that Zora Hall is the only Zora nation without a live Jabu-Jabu?" Mikau said when everyone was seated. "It's also the only one without a king. My theory is that whether or not our guardian deity is alive has to do with whether or not a nation has a king. Y'know, I heard that Termina's Jabu-Jabu died soon after our king's lineage died out."  
  
"Yeah, and I think it's a bit unfair that we're ruled over by Bottom- feeders." Japas yelled from deep within the bowels of the kitchen.  
  
And so the conversations twisted, turned and continued with the occational comment yelled by Japas and/or loud noise from his direction which would send Mikau and Tijo running to investigate. But before long, a heavenly scent wafted in from kitchen. Lulu's belly rose and fell, taking in the aroma.  
  
"Thank you, Mikau and Tijo, for having us over for dinner on such short notice." She smiled wryly, twisting up the corners of her lips. "You two can't cook, can you? I see Japas is preparing the meal."  
  
Mikau threw his hands up and let out an exasperated shout. "I give up! No, I can't cook worth salt!"  
  
Tijo scratched an ear. "Naw, I can cook a little, but certainly nothing that smells as nice as this."  
  
"Gangway, coming through!" A distraught Japas cried as he emerged from the kitchen. Against the laws of physics, three plates were balanced on each of his arms, while a bowl of greens teetered precariously on his tail. Mikau promptly removed two plates and the bowl to avoid impending disaster, while Tijo searched for a tablecloth for the wooden box. Almost as an afterthought, Mikau dumped a dozen iridescent fish into the water boardering the room. The glow from the fish plus the constantly cycling water caused light to ripple against the walls and ceiling of the living room.  
  
"Japas! I never knew you were such a chef!" Tijo said, delighted, as he sipped greedily at a thick fishy soup.  
  
Japas flicked his fins back. "Oh, you learn a thing or two when you're let loose by yourself for a few years." He replied smugly.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Lulu asked, head cocked in confusion. Neither she nor Evan knew about Japas' six year disappearance.  
  
Japas loves attention. Seizing the opportunity, he recounted a slightly improbable version of his life story, with Mikau adding the occational comment and correction. The guests, Lulu and Evan, listened to the story with eyes wide open while Tijo sat patiently through the tale, drinking his after-dinner tea. Explaining Japas' past wasn't a task to be taken lightly, or in a short time. By the time he finished, the evening has well matured into the night.  
  
"That's amazing, Japas. But I'm not sure if I can believe all of it." Evan said once Japas finished and paused to breathe. "No offence or anything."  
  
"It's okay. I wouldn't believe myself either, that is, unless I actually lived through it, which I did." Japas laughed at his own words. Then he shut up when he realized it wasn't all that funny.  
  
Lulu gazed out the window. "Hey guys, it's past nine. I should go back to my dorm."  
  
"Go back?" Mikau jumped up, suddenly concerned beyond reason. "But it's dark out. Are you sure you can swim back safely?"  
  
"Well I certainly can't stay here." Lulu said with a shrug. Mikau tightened his lips. He couldn't argue with her logic, but the thought of her swimming alone in the dark made him uneasy. Who knows what water monsters, or Zoras with ill intent, might be lurking in the shadows.  
  
"I'll take you home, Lulu." Evan offered, getting out of his seat.  
  
"What?" Tijo looked up. "But you have to come back to our dorm, right? It's almost an hour's swim there and back from the ladies' dorms!"  
  
Evans was unconcerned. "So? It's the least I can do for my favorite girl." He smiled and offered a cocked arm to Lulu.  
  
"Oh, you...!" She laughed and took Evan's arm in her own and let him escort her out the door. "Oh, Mikau? Tijo?" Lulu turned in the hallway. "Thank you so much for having us over. You too, Japas, for dinner. I think I've found myself a rival in culinary skill!" She smiled, flashing a million blinding teeth, and walked away. Mikau and Japas poked their heads out the door and watched them until they turned a corner and were gone.  
  
"So, what does everyone think of everyone?" Mikau asked once the guests were gone and the table was cleared.  
  
"Mikau, I'm so jealous of you! You get to know people so easily!" Tijo complained. He nursed a second cup of tea in his hands. "Well, both Evan and Lulu seem nice and interesting enough. Them being musicians is a definate plus."  
  
"I just think it's a pity that Lulu isn't from Hyrule." Japas said with an almost innocent expression. Mikau could imagine him winking behind his blue veil. "She would have been quite the dish, know what I'm sayin'?"  
  
Mikau kicked some water at Japas. "You are one sick, sick fish, y'know that?"  
  
"Yeah, well, six years without female Zoras makes Japas a dull guppy." Japas caught himself in a yawn. "Geeze, I'm tired. I'd better crash now. Don't want to be late for another wonderful day at university." He said, dripping sarcasm.  
  
"See you tomorrow." Tijo called without looking up. Japas left the living room and walked out of eyesight. The sounds of a door opening and closing signaled his exit.  
  
Once Japas was gone, Mikau laced his fingers together and stretched, cracking a wrist. While he shook out his sore hand, the Zorian Hero thought about the day that had passed, how long and short it had been. He made two new friends in Lulu and Evan, he didn't antagonize any teachers yet, and most importantly, he's still alive. University turned out to be a lot less painful than what he's been led to believe, but then again, today was only the first day. Who knows what surprises might be waiting for him beyond the dawn.  
  
"It's been quite a day, huh?" He commented to Tijo, who was doing the dishes out of habit. The Bottom-feeder scraped the leftovers into the ditch, where iridescent fish waited eagerly for their turn at Japas' cooking. Mikau watched for a while, then felt guilty for just sitting there doing nothing while Tijo did all the work. "Hey buddy, I'll finish the dishes. Get some sleep; you look tired."  
  
"Okay." Tijo rubbed his drooping eyes and smiled at the Zorian Hero in gratitude. Mikau put his hands together in a moment of anticipation, then attacked the dishes. Tijo collected the iridescent fish and put them back in their proper tank before going to the room he and Mikau shared. He opened the door, took two steps in, paused, then slowly backed out.  
  
"Hey Mikau," Tijo called. "Could you come here for a sec?" Mikau caught the odd tinge in Tijo's voice, and walked quickly to their room. A blue figure lay on Tijo's bed and when Mikau drew nearer, saw that it was Japas! The Sleek mumbled something incomprehensible but his deep, even breathing spoke of sleep. One arm pillowed his head and tail while the other draped over the edge of the bed. His leg would twitch sometimes as if he's caught in a fitful dream.  
  
Tijo was annoyed and amused at the same time. Mikau had to keep a hand over his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing. "Goddesses, what a fool fish. Here, I'll take care of this." Mikau jumped on Tijo's bed, bracing his back against the wall. Pushing with both legs, he shoved Japas out of the bed in one movement. The sleeping Zora rolled onto the floor, still muttering, and settled again on the damp moss. Mikau walked over to his roommate and made an 'after you' gesture.  
  
"Thank you, my good man." Tijo said with a bow, playing along with the act. He stepped over the offending Zora and shook out his moss blanket. Japas still slept on, blissfully unaware. Mikau, seeing all was well, returned to finish off the mess of dishes in the kitchen.  
  
End of Chapter 13  
  
Kodak moment! This is the first time the gang's all here! Other than that, I can't think of anything else to say about this chapter. So what did you all think? Was the chapter too stretched out with conversation? Or did it not have enough action? Hmm, I dunno. This is where reader reviews would come in real handy.  
  
Oh, I started learning guitar! So now I'll have some idea about how guitars are handled, rather than just making stuff up like I've been doing previously. 


	14. Pain of days, pain of dreams

Chapter 14  
  
Mysteries...  
  
Mysteries hidden by the dawn  
  
Memories...  
  
Have you faith in a song?  
  
Scene on a sleeper's eye  
  
Human, monster, ocean, tree and sky  
  
Believe!  
  
Dreamer awake...and see.  
  
Live your dream!  
  
-Ballad of the Windfish  
  
"Where is he?! Where is that little thief?! We never should have trusted an outsider like him!"  
  
"Don't want to get hurt? Then you do what I say."  
  
"You're my 'friend', aren't you? Ha! But you're a Zora!"  
  
"He might be useful to us. His kind can track fish better than anything. We'll have a plentiful crop with him around."  
  
"It's been nearly three weeks. If he hasn't been seen yet, then he will probably never be seen again, alive. I'm sorry."  
  
"Holy Mother of Pearl! There's blood on the strings! Japas, you've been playing so much that your fingers are bleeding!"  
  
"Dad? Where's Mom? Where's Amberize and Pyrias?"  
  
Japas woke with a start, mouth gasping like a fish out of water, laboring to breathe. His fins clung to his face, damp with pesperation. At first, Japas couldn't figure out where he was. A thin sliver of moon shone through the window but other than that, the world was still wrapped in shadow. A muted snort drew Japas' attention to the sleeping figures of Tijo and Mikau. So he's still in his friends' dorm.  
  
Nightmares of the past. Again. Japas covered his face with his hands and tried to get a grip on reality. He's in the university now. In Hyrule. He's not in Termina, Labrynna or Holodrum. He's with Mikau and Tijo; he's safe here. What a pathetic sight he must be to anyone that might happen by. Japas was glad that none of his friends were awake to see him like this.  
  
Like this. Shaking, afraid, and alone. Japas hugged his knees against himself and stared at his hands. Beyond the sparkling rings on each finger, his hands were bony and calloused. Not just by extensive use of his guitar, but also from endless months of toil. His body was thin from years of malnurishment and overexertion. The hunger ate at his tail, which accounted for it's small size. His body was also scarred. The watery moonlight highlighted the ugly wounds on his body more than daylight ever could. Thank Goddesses that at least he wasn't marked on the face. There was one pale scar that ran along the left side of his jawline, but that one didn't bother Japas too much. After all, the person who did that to him suffered much more afterwards.  
  
Japas smiled at the memory of what he did to the bastard and traced the scar with a finger. Tijo snorted again and Mikau mumbled and rolled over in response. Japas gazed fondly at his friends, but lingering doubt still haunted his mind. He lied to them about his life in Holodrum and left out many details. Tijo, and even Mikau, could never understand what he's lived through. Japas picked up the guitar and silently left the dorm, closing the door with a soft click. He headed off to his own dorm, where he could take comfort in his solitude.  
  
Mikau watched Japas go. He had been watching his friend ever since Japas woke up. Mikau blinked in confusion. What was that all about? The Zorian Hero waited for his best friend to return, but he never did. Shrugging it off, Mikau rolled over and went back to sleep.  
  
The next day was dimmer than the last. Grey clouds loomed overhead, heavy with the promise of rain. Not that it mattered at all to Zoras. There's hardly an outdoor, airside area in the whole university so who cares if it rains or not? Mikau rather enjoyed the light sprinkles and surfaced often to feel the individual droplets strike his back. Evan swam alongside the Zorian Hero as they headed for their first class. Mikau didn't have the heart to wake Tijo and Japas was nowhere to be found. Instead, he ran into Evan in the dormitary hallways and they decided to leave together. The two Sleeks arrived at the gym earlier than expected, almost half an hour early. No other students have arrived yet, but a deep, booming voice welcomed the two Zoras, making them cringe.  
  
"Lorecrest! Wake!" Mr. Bayn greeted his pupils warmly by their last names. Evan fought the urge to step back from the titanic Zora but bravely stood his ground. Mikau mirrored the smile thrown at him. He knew that Mr. Bayn was mostly bluff. "So! How was your morning? I hope the two of you got enough rest, 'cuz today is not gonna be a cakewalk like yesterday!"  
  
Suddenly, Mr. Bayn lunged ahead, whipping his tail at Mikau. The Zorian Hero ducked and rolled away with unnatural speed, then turned and crouched to face the threat. Evan, on the other hand, was nicked by the followthrough. He backed away in surprise, more shocked than hurt.  
  
"What was that for?!" Mikau cried, equally surprised as his friend. His arm blades lengthened. His tail was as stiff as a rod.  
  
But the gym coach just laughed heartily and clapped his hands. "Very good, Lorecrest! That Heroic blood of Ugin's certainly didn't thin with your generation! Let's see how well she did her duty in training you!" Mr. Bayn lunged again.  
  
"Mr. Bayn! Mikau!" Evan yelled, confused and panicked. "What's going on?!"  
  
Both duelists ignored Evan. The older Zora wasn't as fast as Mikau, but moved with an agility that spoke of years of training and experience. The younger Zora was lothe to use his razor-sharp arm blades on his teacher because Mr. Bayn wasn't actually moving to injure his adversary. They traded blows. Mikau wondered what his teacher was up to.  
  
Watching Mr. Bayn's attacks, Mikau realized that they were the same type of movements his mother used to practice with. Filelliquy Ugin, or, Filelliquy Lorecrest, being a Zorian Hero, was often called upon to rid Zora Hall of minor disasters such as wandering Like Likes or stray Morphas. As tradition dictates, she had started teaching her son some basic fighting techniques when he was 13, but Mikau took exception to fighting. He would rather create music instead of learning to fight. Mikau only mastered the bare basics before his mother tired of motivating him to study his heritige.  
  
And Mr. Bayn once trained Filelliquy.  
  
Now Mikau realized that the gym coach was simply testing him. Mr. Bayn drew his arms close, leaned his weight on his left leg, and had his tail whipping to the right; a move that Mikau remembered well how to avoid. The teacher lashed out with arms and tail, which Mikau dodged by simply dropping to the ground. He landed on his elbow and kicked Mr. Bayn's balancing left foot out from under him. Mikau's opponent stumbled, took care not to fall on his student and rolled easily onto his feet. He dusted himself off calmly as if nothing had just happened.  
  
"Very good, Lorecrest!" Mr. Bayn bellowed cheerfully. He clapped his hands again.  
  
"What, what, WHAT was that all about?!" Evan demanded now that the fighting has ceased.  
  
"Peace, young Wake!" The coach laughed at Evan's outburst. "Just a bit of practice for the Zorian Hero. It's their duty to learn the ways of the warrior! Although I'll admit this one could use a bit of work on his skill." He gave Mikau a significant look.  
  
Mikau glared at his gym teacher, a bit angry that he's being treated like this. He never asked to be trained, and he doesn't like fighting! Mikau lowered his arms and let his fins reduce to their original size.  
  
"Mr. Bayn." Mikau said stiffly, jaw clenched with determination. He stood as tall as he could, trying not to lose his resolve as the gigantic Zora turned to him. "I'm not here to learn self defense. Just because I'm a Zorian Hero doesn't automatically mean that I like fighting! Hey, I signed up for this class even though I didn't want to before! Isn't that enough for you?"  
  
Mr. Bayn's face flashed from shock, to anger, then back to his relative cheerfulness. It was clear that the older Zora was rarely spoken to in such a manner. But he smiled. "Okay." He said simply, and turned his attention to the other students. Others have just started to arrive and tried not to make eye contact with their teacher.  
  
"He really isn't the predictable one, is he." Evan commented.  
  
Mikau frowned but then shrugged. "I think I disappointed him. He was so looking forward to teaching a Zorian Hero but got a half-ripe pacifist musician instead."  
  
"Hello, boys." A silky voice from behind them startled the two Sleeks. Turning around, Mikau and Evan discovered that it was Or'qua who had snuck up on them. She smiled warmly at the Zorian Hero but her expression took a subtle, yet apparent change when faced with Evan. She tilted her head down and gazed upwards coyly. "We never had a chance to talk yesterday, Evan." Or'qua said his name shyly, as if she wasn't sure she got it right. Her incredibly long and thin tail swished lazily, yet enticingly behind her. "You played so well, I never got to congratulate you properly."  
  
Evan was taken aback by her soft manner; this certainly wasn't the fierce Jeeball captain he had battled yesterday. Faint traces of a blush were visible on his face. "What do you mean, Or'qua? In the end, it was your team that won." Evan claimed with a neutral smile.  
  
Or'qua brightened when Evan called her by name, the corners of her petite lips twisting upwards. "You should have been on the winning team."  
  
In the background, Mikau watched Evan and Or'qua with a frown developing on his face. He was slightly insulted by how Or'qua ignored him when it was HE who led his team! Officially, at least.  
  
Altress walked into the gym and although a few heads turned in her direction, she didn't attract nearly as much attention as she did yesterday. She now wore a cheap bodysuit that she probably bought from the university's all-purpose store. Mikau vaguely wondered how much money those stores made off Hylian female Zoras at the beginning of each year. Altress was clearly not used to wearing clothing; she rotated her shoulders constantly, uncomfortable in the wrap of cloth.  
  
Mikau thought Altress looked lonely. She didn't have any friends in this class, and the grimace on her face kept anyone from even trying to talk to her. So like an idiot, Mikau decided to offer her some company. When Altress caught sight of his approach, her eyes seemed to widen and narrow at the same time. Her fins contracted in warning, those on her head framing her face like a basilisk.  
  
Ooookay...Mikau immediatly turned around and walked away awkwardly in the opposite direction. Mr. Bayn saved the Zorian Hero from further humiliation when he announced the beginning of warm ups. Evan broke away from Or'qua and swam the two laps around the track with Mikau, which helped the Zorian Hero forget about Altress' spiteful glare.  
  
The class passed by quickly. Mr. Bayn showed no mercy and drove his students to the limits of their abilities. When the Phys Ed class was finally over, even Mikau found it difficult to catch his breath. He had to help drag Evan out of the gym or the eel-Zora would be late for class. Mikau was just about to leave airside, when a large, Mr. Bayn-shaped shadow loomed over him. Sure enough, the teacher was behind Mikau. He had two unconsious Zoras under each arm, which he casually tossed into the water. They floated off limply, carried away by the tide. Mikau could only hope that Mr. Bayn's involvement in their present condition was only to goad them to exhaustion.  
  
The bruly Zora wiped his hands. "So, Hero Lorecrest," Mr. Bayn smiled widely at Mikau, his hands now crossed across his chest. "I suppose it would be useless to try to make you reconsider to learn how to fight? It would be my pleasure to coach you after classes." Mikau shook his head, his face a careful blank. He was getting angry at his coach for being pestered to fight.  
  
But Mr. Bayn's smile broadened. "You are perhaps the last Zorian Hero. There will come a time when the people have need of your talents. And when they need you, will you be ready?" Mikau didn't answer. "I'll always be here, Hero. Let me know when you choose to accept my offer." And with that, Mr. Bayn disappeared into the shadows of the gym.  
  
"I would take the offer if I were you." Evan chirped from his position on the ground. His hands were relaxed behind his head, under his tail. Mikau was holding the tail taunt and using it to drag his friend to the water's edge.  
  
"Hey! Look who's still alive!" Mikau cried mockingly, letting go of the tail in surprise. Without anyone to hold him up, Evan's head collided painfully with the floor.  
  
"Ow! Watch it!" Evan rubbed the developing bruise on his cranium. "Personally, I rather like learning self defence. It comes in handy every once in a while, y'know?"  
  
"Yeah? Then why don't you ask Mr. Bayn for lessons." Mikau joked as he dove into the water.  
  
Evan followed him not far behind. "Actually, I was thinking about that."  
  
"What?!" Mikau cried, releasing a cloud of bubbles. He looked at his friend incredulously with a raised eyeridge. "Oookay. Whatever floats your boat."  
  
At this point, the two Sleeks diverged in opposite directions. Mikau swam towards the Arts building while Evan headed for his next class of Calculations.  
  
"Say hi to Tijo for me!" Mikau called out to his rapidly shrinking friend.  
  
"Tell Japas he needs a haircut!" Evan replied. Mikau laughed, though Evan probably couldn't hear with all the other Xyrian chatter around them.  
  
Actually, when Mikau saw Japas later, it looked like he needed a haircut, bath, and a lot of coffee. In other words, he looked a mess. Mikau didn't ask any questions when Japas sat down beside him, though his eyes burned for answers. He had seen his friend in this condition often enough, when they were back in Termina. The poor boy sometimes didn't get enough sleep because he was locked out of his house. Mikau had offered his own roof for his friend to sleep under, but Japas refused, letting his foolish pride lead him.  
  
Japas should have gotten enough sleep in Mikau's dorm or his own. Maybe he did something stupid like losing his room key, or he couldn't stomache his own cooking or something. Then Mikau remembered Japas' strange behavior last night. But that only made the Zorian Hero more confused.  
  
"Hey," Mikau ventured.  
  
"Hi." Japas' smile looked stretched. Little of his usual energy showed on his body. Mikau opened his mouth to say something else, but his thoughts were disturbed by the first croak from Prof. Iciirri. His trademark coral-on-wood echoed against the walls.  
  
"Listen to this, students." The professor said without preamble. He pressed a button on an electric music machine, which churned out pre- recorded music. Both Mikau and Japas, dispite his lack of energy, leaned in closer to hear the song. It was simple but elegant; a riff that's played on only one instrument. Most of the students in the class recognized the tune instantly as 'The Ballad of the Windfish'. Of course Mikau's heard of it before, but the version he was familiar with had lyrics and a host of other instruments.  
  
"Can anyone tell me what song that is?" Prof. Iciirri said as he paced the room, occationally using his coral stick as a walking stick. He pointed at a random Zora in the room who had her hand up.  
  
"That's 'The Ballad of the Windfish'." She answered.  
  
"Very good." The teacher nodded his head. It was strange to see a Bottom-feeder who's head could swivel on his neck. "'The Ballad of the Windfish' was recently made popular by the Zorian band, the Indigo-gos, but how many of you know that they were not the original creators of the song?" A few hands and affirmatives shot up. "Nobody knows the true writer of this particular song, because it seems to come from various sources. Those who venture into the Eastern waters, the realm of the Windfish, are often afflicted with unconsiousness supplemented by vivid dreams. The visions in these dreams are never the same, but those who've survived them, always learn 'The Ballad of the Windfish' through the dreams. Very odd." Prof. Iciirri paused, seeming to consider this.  
  
"The first person who reported 'The Ballad of the Windfish' was a Zora named Reverler Riverluff. He lived around six centuries ago, and traveled to the Eastern waters due to reports of a large fish that was spotted there. Though we now know it was the Windfish, it was mistaken as a Jabu-Jabu, and the Zora King at that time sent a party to investigate, thinking that Zoras could live there in the future. Riverluff was the only survivor of that incident. He suffered from mental illness which was probably not caused by the Windfish, but by the trauma of losing his comrades..."  
  
What is this, History class? Mikau thought as he rapidly scribbled down notes. He cursed silently when he broke his pen through furious writing. Mikau reached for Japas' pen, since his friend wasn't using it at the moment. In fact, Japas was sleeping behind his hair again. The thin sheet of fins rippled every time the Sleek exhaled, disturbing the fins with each breath. Mikau hoped that a bit of sleep might revive Japas for the rest of the day.  
  
Actually, it seemed as if the prospect of food excited Japas more than the presence of sleep. Because when the bell for lunch rang, Japas leaped up, smiling, and headed for the door, 100% himself again. Mikau didn't realize how worried he had been for his buddy until a huge wave of relief washed over him.  
  
"Hey Japas! How are you, man?" Mikau called out as he chased his childhood friend.  
  
"Nifty! I'm ready for Comp and Theory now!" Japas swam outside before Mikau could answer. He suddenly stopped, and looked around in confusion. "Hey, where's the Arts building?"  
  
Mikau slapped a hand on his forehead, then let it slide down his face. "We just finished that class. You slept through the entire session. It's lunchtime now, fish." Try as he might, Mikau couldn't stay exasperated any longer and burst out laughing.  
  
Japas gave his friend a good, long stare. "Oh." He said simply. Pause, blink. "In that case, where's the cafeteria?"  
  
End of Chapter 14  
  
By the way, that song at the beginning of the chapter? I wrote those lyrics to the Link's Awakening version of the Ballad of the Windfish. I spent half an hour listening to Marin sing so I can get the syllables to match the melody. Now I'm considering writing lyrics for all the other Zelda songs, like Song of Time and Oath to Order and such.  
  
Hmm, Japas' nightmares are the first touch of darkness to my fic. What might I possibly be foreshadowing? Stay tuned to find out! 


	15. Tension

Chapter 15  
  
Swathed in heaven's misty clouds  
  
Awashed in hell-borne fires  
  
A mountain wrapped within a shroud  
  
Of mystery, dark and dire  
  
As usual during this time of day, the cylindrical building that served as a cafeteria was packed with students from the university and the occational passerby who was suckered into thinking that here was actually a favorable place to dine. The crashing of waves on the outside was muted by the strong granite walls and further masked by numerous laughing conversations. Some people talked about what guy/girl they were currently seeing, some talked about how they plan to fail which course, and others actually used this time for eating.  
  
"There's Rotan." Japas mentioned casually when he and Mikau were searching for a place to sit. Mikau grimaced for a moment, but didn't let Japas see. Rotan was in the same place as he was yesterday, chewing away at a bone of some sort. Perhaps three other Zoras sat near him who looked like they were in the same crowd. No one else sat near them; the way they look and the way they act repelled people more effectively than water repells fire.  
  
"Yo, Rotan!" Japas called out. Mikau hissed slightly. He had wanted a quiet spot to talk to Japas for a while, but as Japas drew up a seat beside the punk Zora, Mikau had no choice but to sit alongside his friend.  
  
"Japas." Rotan said, looking up. The Zoras sitting around him also looked up with interest. One of them smiled, revealing a chipped tooth. "This is Famis, Marr, and Crazon." Rotan pointed to a Zora each time he mentioned a name, and they all nodded in acknowledgement. Then they all went back to talking to each other again. Mikau only heard snatches of their hushed conversation, but he didn't like what he heard.  
  
Mikau noticed that all of Rotan's friends had injury marks on their body. On closer examination, the scars on the Zora's left arms resembled each other, although some of them were distorted by newer wounds. Mikau swallowed his food without tasting it. Rotan and his friends were a gang. Those markings their arms are some sort of symbol indicating that they belong to the same group. Mikau's parents had warned him on the presence of gangs in university, but seeing a real one made buried fears emerge. Japas, on the other hand, didn't seem the least disturbed by Rotan, and was even beginning to warm up to them. Mikau itched to get away.  
  
His chance came when he caught sight of Tijo in the cafeteria with Evans in tow. "Hey Japas, do you mind if I go with Evans and Tijo?" Mikau asked discreetly. "There's not enough empty seats here. You can come with us if you like..." Mikau was never very good at manipulation but he wanted his friend away from these hoodlums.  
  
"Nah." Came the reply. "I'll be able to see you guys at Singing and after classes. I only get to see Rotan now." Japas never even turned around as he said that. Mikau walked away, rejected.  
  
Tijo spotted his roommate and waved. Evans found a trio of seats in preperation for Mikau's arrival. But when the Zorian Hero sat down between his friends, he suddenly found himself in the midst of a heated debate.  
  
"How can you not see the relationship between hyperboles and ellipses??" Tijo fumed, striking his hand against against the table for emphasis. Lunch items bounced from the shock. "All you have to do is picture it in you head!"  
  
"Oh, I can picture it, all right." Evans said hautily. He had his arms crossed and chin raised, staring down his non-existant nose at Tijo. "It's just that the concept of hyperboles being flipped ellipses is, though theoretically possible, impossible."  
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Mikau held up his hands in self defence. "Just what is going on here? Guys, break it up! What the heck are you talking about anyways?"  
  
Evans pointed an accusing finger at Tijo. "Tijo insists that it's possible for hyperboles to be flipped and return to their orgin. No one said anything about this in Calculations class but superior Bottom-feeder here has a deeper comprehention than a lowly Sleek like me..."  
  
"I never said that!" Tijo rebutted. "And don't bring your race into this!"  
  
"Stop it, both of you!" Mikau shouted, surprising Evans and Tijo into silence. He put his hands over his ears and glared at the arguing Zoras. "The two of you ought to be ashamed of yourselves. How can you say stuff like this to each other?" Both Evans and Tijo looked down meekly. "I mean, it's lunchtime, for crying out loud! You're not supposed to talk about classes now; it's making my mind bleed! Look, it's even written here on the 'Unspoken Protocol of the University Student'." Mikau dug out a small, official-looking booklet from his bubble and read an excerpt from it. "Ahem. Rule number 27b: "Thou shall not discuss class subjects outside of class and/or time allocated for completion of class expectations.""  
  
Mikau shut his book. It looks like Evans' and Tijo's jaws could also use some shutting, because their mouths were gaping holes in their faces. Tijo figured out first how to rescrew his facial features back into their proper positions.  
  
"And I thought you were upset because didn't like me and Evans arguing. So. Where's Japas?" The Bottom-feeder chirped happily, effectively changing the topic.  
  
There was a small moment of awkward silence. Mikau had hoped that talking to his other friends would make him forget about Japas' situation but apparently, that didn't work out too well. He turned his head to the side and Evans and Tijo followed his gaze. At a distant table, Japas was among his new comrades, looking as if he's never spent a day elsewhere. He put his elbow on the table, one of the others took his hand, and an armwrestling match ensued. Raucous cheers erupted between the four of them when Japas slammed his opponent's arm down, signaling his victory.  
  
It hit Mikau like a physical blow how much Japas blended in with Rotan's gang. What happened in those six years to make Japas like this? Mikau thought.  
  
Tijo blinked uncomprehensively at the spectacle, but Evans sucked air through his teeth in anger. "What is Japas doing with THEM?!" The eel-Zora grated.  
  
"What do you mean?" Tijo asked, totally clueless.  
  
Evans glanced once more at Japas' table, then shifted himself so that his back was to them. He hunched down and whispered so that Mikau and Tijo had to lean in to listen. "I was talking to some older guys back before school started and the subject of gangs popped up. The resident gang in our school is called the CryBax and their rivals, the Black Nulia, are situated in the small fishing village on the southeast coast, near the woman's dorms. Y'know yesterday? When I was taking Lulu back home, two Zoras were following me. They had the same symbol on their arm as those guys with Japas have on their left arms." Evans drew on his arm with a finger. "...Like this. The symbol of the CryBax. On the way back to the men's dorms, I swam along the ocean floor so they wouldn't see my brown skin against the rocks."  
  
Tijo looked skeptical. "You don't know if they're looking for trouble. And if they're so bad, why is Japas hanging around them?"  
  
Evans' expression darkened. The truth is, his opinion of Japas was not incredibly impressive, but in front of Japas' friends, he said something other than what he wanted to say. "Sure, the CryBax seem harmless right now, but they aren't acting up because of all the people around." Evans clicked his tongue. "This might turn out to be a problem."  
  
The bell rang, momentarily releasing everyone from their anxious thoughts. Tijo jumped up, startled by the sudden alarm. "Scared by the bell?" Evans laughed.  
  
"I don't think I'll ever get used to it." Tijo smiled sheepishly as he picked up his lunch tray. Still grinning, Evans followed suit. "Y'coming, Mikau?" Tijo asked, seeing that the Zorian Hero wasn't behind him.  
  
For a second, Mikau was unreasonably enraged at Tijo and Evans, though he quickly surpressed the stray emotion. How could they shrug off Japas like that? True, this isn't their problem, but they don't even have the decency to act concerned. Mikau gave them a tight-lipped smile. "In a moment."  
  
Evans and Tijo walked ahead, leaving Mikau behind. The Zorian Hero let his gaze settle on his best friend. Japas slapped the tail of one of the CryBax with his own in friendly farewell before running off in Mikau's direction.  
  
"Hey, Mikau! See you at Singing!" Japas said cheerfully as he rushed past. Mikau grabbed his arm.  
  
Japas turned around immediatly and Mikau nearly let go in shock. Only a moment ago, there was his best friend the happy-go-lucky Japas, but Mikau could barely recognize the Zora he was holding now. Japas snarled as he turned, tail posed, and the hand Mikau was holding dug into his oppressor's flesh. The movement was so sudden and so fluid without hesitation, that it seemed like a natural reaction. It looked like it happened very often. The moment of tension lasted only an instant, until Japas realized who was holding him and relaxed. Still, he didn't seem too thrilled by the interruption.  
  
"What?" Japas snapped, annoyed. Annoyed at Mikau for grabbing him, and to cover up his unthinking reaction.  
  
Mikau was tempted to just forget the whole issue. But he pressed. "Do you think Rotan and his friends are really worth hanging out with?" Mikau scratched his ear, seriously uncomfortable. He's never had a heart-to-heart with anybody other than his parents.  
  
Japas pulled back his lips, half smiling, half sneering. "Didn't we already talk about this yesterday? C'mon, you can't really judge these guys by appearance..."  
  
"They're part of the CryBax gang." Mikau interrupted.  
  
"What? Who told you that?" Japas was taken aback but quickly recomposed himself. "And what does that have to do with anything?"  
  
"There has been rumors of gang activity around here. Why are you getting yourself mixed up with this? You ought to know better."  
  
"Yes, mom." Japas practically spat. He kept his eyes steady on Mikau, defying him. But his gaze travelled downwards, where a pale mark on Mikau's collarbone spoke of something which once rested there, blocking out the sun. Perhaps an Empress crab spine.  
  
Mikau's own temper was beginning to flare. He doesn't need to take attitude from anyone, especially not his childhood friend. Something must be seriously wrong with Japas. The memory of his friend hunched over last night, an image of helplessness and dispair, was etched in Mikau's mind. He tightened his grip. "You've been acting strangely today. What happened to you last night? When you left my dorm."  
  
Japas' face was suddenly a mask of panic, like a moth caught in a jar. Damn it, Mikau saw him last night! Did Mikau know about the nightmares? Would he ask what the nightmares were about? If he did, Japas would not tell. He tried to yank his hand away from Mikau's firm hold on his wrist but was helpless against the Zorian Hero. He opened his mouth to say something, anything.  
  
"Hey!" A Bottom-feeder lunch lady cried, waving her serving spoon. Both Zoras looked up. "You two! Get to class already!"  
  
With Mikau's attention temporarily diverted, Japas pulled his hand free from the iron grip holding him. He made a show of rubbing his wrist and stood arms-length away from the Zorian Hero. Then he smiled. Mikau knew that it could only be a fake smile, but it looked incredibly genuine. That's when he realized that behind all the facades, behind the fin veil over the eyes, Mikau could never tell what Japas' true emotion was. And that fact scared him. The Zorian Hero wondered how much of his childhood friend was left. He wondered who this new Zora was.  
  
"I'll see you at Singing." Japas said through clentched teeth. Lips still frozen in that smile, he walked away.  
  
End of Chapter 15  
  
This was a rather short chapter compared to all my other ones, but I couldn't continue it without changing the mood completely. Well, after 14 chapters of mundane Zora life, I felt it was time to add in some conflict to the mix. Please don't kill me for making Japas and Mikau against each other! 


	16. Thoughts shallow and deep

Chapter 16  
  
No matter what  
  
Tomorrow may bring  
  
Goddesses grant me  
  
The courage to sing  
  
"Afternoon, Lulu." Tijo said politely as he swam through the conspicuous hole in the wall of his Script class.  
  
Lulu whirled around to greet the Bottom-feeder. "Oh! Tijo! I didn't see you come in!" The velvet fins on her back followed the curve of motion as she turned. She smiled warmly. Lulu liked Tijo alright, but he was so proper and conspicuously polite in her presence, that she's not entirely at ease when around him. She would rather be treated as a friend, an equal. The two Zoras found their lillies and latched themselves using the seaweed growing rampant along the classroom floor. Lulu absently plucked a strand of seaweed to sample on, but spat out the growth when she found it to be bitter.  
  
"Sargasso is not good to eat." Tijo mentioned.  
  
Lulu raised her eyeridges in a bewildered expression. "Oh really? I couldn't tell..."  
  
"Sargasso weed grows all around the oceans surrounding Hyrule. I take it that they don't grow in Termina." The Bottom-feeder snickered.  
  
The bell for third block rang, sounding rippled and warped in the underwater room. Prof. Shar was already in the room, reading glasses on and looking mildly interested in the book he was reading. He glanced up once and seeing everyone was yet to be seated, hid his face behind the book again. Tijo drummed his fingers against his lily impatiently.  
  
"Where's Mikau?" Lulu asked gently. "He's late."  
  
"I was thinking the same thing. He was right behind me." Tijo chewed on his bottom lip nervously. "He's faster than me. He should have caught up by now."  
  
Right then, Mikau flew through the hole like an otter, circled the room once, then dived in front of Lulu, disappearing under the mess of seaweed. He reappeared an instant later, already tethered behind his lily. His bubble bobbed up behind him like a balloon.  
  
Lulu pushed the bubble out of the way. "Hi!" She said to the back of Mikau's head.  
  
Mikau turned around with an expression of surprise that turned to genuine delight when he realized who was talking to him. "Hello." Said the Zorian Hero. He gave Lulu that dazzling smile of his. She drank in the smile and had to resist the urge to titter like an infatuated schoolgirl. Mikau sometimes has that effect on her, though Lulu hopes he hadn't noticed.  
  
Sure, Mikau might be a little impetuous at times, but his kind demeanor and physique more than made up for that. And what physique! Indeed, this Zorian Hero was every bit as impressive as the legends said they were, and she has the priviledge of knowing one! The strange body paint on his face only enhanced his features, and she wanted to ask him what each tattoo pattern symbolizes. Mikau shifted slightly, and his rippling muscles drew Lulu's attention to the patterns on his arm. She longed to touch one. Instead, she let her eyes wander down the expanse of the Zorian Hero's body but quickly looked away. She had forgotten that she has irises in her main eyes and her gaze could easily be followed. Blushing furiously, Lulu prayed that Mikau didn't notice her roaming eyes. If word about this reached Evan, she would never hear the end of it! Lulu turned her attention to Prof. Shar who had just stood up for attendance.  
  
To her unending relief, Mikau didn't notice Lulu's odd behavior at all. The Zorian Hero was more distraught over the conflict with his friend that occured mere minutes ago. He pondered over everything he and Japas said to each other, while Prof. Shar's and Lulu's words were only background noise. Mikau was snapped out of his thoughts when Tijo poked him on the arm.  
  
"Hey Mikau, you don't have a textbook yet, do you?" Tijo asked. "Prof. Shar was just offering books for sale. Do you have enough rupees to pay for it?"  
  
Mikau cursed in a language other than Xyrian which came out distorted with a myriad of bubbles. "Din's wrath, I forgot!"  
  
Tijo grinned wickedly. "You can borrow from me. On the condition that you replace my stash of shelled pink urchins which mysteriously disappeared three days ago." Mikau gratefully accepted Tijo's money, but smiled with exaggerated innocence.  
  
"Please pay attention, students." The script teacher demanded gently. "I would like to bring to your attention that tomorrow at this time, King Zora of Hyrule will be visiting Seafifth. He comes here with the intent of moralizing the newest faces around this university. In other words, students like you. I expect all of you to arrive here prior to the assembly to recieve the day's homework, then immediatly proceed to the auditorium. No loitering."  
  
"King Zora!" Tijo breathed, eyes lighting up. Not like his eyes were radioactive or anything; just a sparkle that betrayed his excitement.  
  
"I take it you're a big fan of the King?" Mikau asked. Tijo nodded slightly in affirmation. King Flounden Vera of the Zoras of Zora's Domain, Hyrule, had a reputation known to all Zoras and many places elsewhere. First of all, Zora's Domain was the source of water for Hyrule, the greatest nation in the world. The city itself is an amazing array of waterfalls and twisting passageways leading to the many levels of the sprawling metropolis. Although most Zoras don't ever get the chance to personally meet the famed King, his gentle-handed leadership could be felt by all under his rule. Not that he was too forgiving or anything; he can be ruthless to people if it's for the people's benefit.  
  
The Script teacher hadn't finished talking. "My expectations for you will be quite high in King Zora's presence. No talking, blowing bubbles, or needless shifting. Remember, you represent the school and wish to present a good impression on his Royal Highness."  
  
Prof. Shar removed his glasses and picked up a snail shell with a hollow coral pen stuck in it. "With that over with, we can move on. For those of you who have already read chapter 4 in 'Standard in Script', this will mostly consist of a review." The professor stood up and started writing with the pen on a large sillica-plated board located behind his desk. "The majority of the world speaks one language: Hylian. Only in far reaches of the world, or regions too solidly ingrained with their own culture, do people speak other languages. Us Zoras, however, conveniently evolved the ability to communicate underwater in a language of high-pitched sounds: Xyrian. There is no written form of Xyrian, although we will be concentrating on both languages equally in this Script course."  
  
The teacher constantly dipped the pen back in the shell, which contained a chemically enhanced squid ink. The ink could not be conveniently erased once it contacts sillica, but fades away naturally after 20 minutes. Sure, chalk and board would work best when erasure was necessary, but they can't be used underwater.  
  
Part of Mikau wanted to listen to the professor, but most of him was still mulling over the Japas situation. He chewed it over like how a dog might chew a stale bone. Why was Japas acting the way he did? Mikau dwelled on that point for a minute or two before coming to a conclusion. Of course. Japas has changed during his lengthly absence in Holodrum. Six years of isolation from friends and family sort of does that to a person. It would be naive for Mikau to think his friendship with Japas would simply pick up from where it had derailed for so long. Furthermore, Japas was used to living alone by now and naturally wouldn't accept anyone telling him what to do. Mikau was certainly no exception to that rule.  
  
As for the CryBax gang, all Mikau's heard of them were rumors and speculations. In fact, as long as Rotan and his group behave themselves and don't do anything to Japas, Mikau really doesn't have any right to complain. Heck, in the best of circumstances, they might turn out to be pretty decent! Somehow, Mikau didn't believe those last thoughts thoughts of his, but that was the most appealing conclusion.  
  
Still, Mikau didn't like the idea of apologizing to Japas, or anyone else for the matter. Zorian Heros are a proud race, and it's almost painful for one of them to swallow that pride. But Mikau would do anything to get his friend back. He had to apologize to Japas next block. Then everything would be better again. Mikau stretched his arms out and put them behind his head, satisfied with his logic.  
  
Prof. Shar looked in his direction. "Do you have a question, Mikau?"  
  
"Huh? Uh, no. Just stretching." Mikau said quickly. He rolled his shoulders back in emphasis. Prof. Shar nodded somewhat, then focused his attention back on the sillica board. Suddenly, the bell sounded and the teacher turned to face the class again.  
  
"Remember! Your best behaviour tomorrow! I expect nothing less!" The professor called out to students who were already clawing the seaweed stubbornly latched to their ankles.  
  
Lulu didn't even bother to untie the seaweed. Like she did yesterday, she broke free of her restrainment with a single downward stroke of her large, powerful fins. Lulu quickly slipped out the hole to the room, entering a tunnel which led to either more classrooms, or outside, depending on where you go. She had to rely solely on her fins to propel herself forward since she doesn't have a tail, but she eagerly motored those fins to get to her next class.  
  
"Hey Lulu! Wait up!" Mikau cried as he fumbled at the growth clinging to his feet. Lulu left without him! She must be really eager to see Evan for her to just run without a second thought. But there was no way she could run from Mikau. After all, there's nothing in the water that a Zorian Hero couldn't catch.  
  
When Mikau finally caught up to his elusive quarry, he found that Lulu wasn't running at all. She gently flowed with the ocean currents, fins trailing along behind her as if they were part of the water themselves. She moved forward resolutely in a straight line leading directly to the Arts building. Lulu was so focused on her goal, that Mikau thought he could easily sneak up on her without being noticed. Smirking, the Zorian Hero glided behind her with barely a disturbance to the water.  
  
"Guess who!" Mikau said with childish glee as he clapped his hands over the girl's eyes.  
  
"Mikau!" Lulu answered instantly without even slowing down.  
  
Disappointed, Mikau removed his hands and positioned himself so that he was swimming alongside her. "How did you know?" He pouted somewhat.  
  
The female smiled smugly. "I saw you."  
  
"Huh?" Mikau was confused by her simple statement. "How? I wasn't in your line of sight..." Lulu laughed gaily but answered his question without speaking. She simply pointed to the secondary eyes at each side of her blunt head. Mikau's own eyes widened in understanding. "Ah, so you can actually see out of those eyes?"  
  
"Yep." Lulu confirmed. "They don't see as well as my main eyes, but I can make out color, shapes and movement."  
  
"They must be useful." Mikau wondered aloud.  
  
Lulu laughed again, like the tinkle of raindrops on crystal. "Only useful when Zorian Heros are about to sneak up on me!"  
  
Mikau joined her laughter and swam a circle around her, showing off his agility. When the two of them reached the entrance to the Arts building, Mikau made his way ahead of Lulu. Although there was no door at the entrance, he politely stood beside the opening while Lulu entered, as if holding the door for her. He bowed comically and Lulu curtsied in return.  
  
"Ladies first." Mikau looked up from his bow. Lulu smiled in amusement and accepted the honor of entering first. The fins on her back swished like a regal cape. To complete the act of gallantry, Mikau offered his arm to Lulu, which she took in her own.  
  
But when the two of them entered their classroom, Mikau realized the error of his actions. He quickly withdrew his arm away from Lulu, which she didn't mind at all. She was distraced by the presence of Evan. Luckily, the eel-Zora turned around slowly and didn't see the two of them linking arms. Evan jumped up, elated at the sight of Lulu.  
  
"Hey! How's my favorite girl?" Evan held Lulu's hand and led her to the seat beside his own. Mikau breathed a sigh of relief. If Evan had caught Mikau with Lulu, who knows what might have happened?  
  
Then Mikau caught sight of Japas and his cheerful mood evaporated. Behind the layer of fins over his eyes, Japas watched Mikau walk stiffly into the room. He stretched his lips out in a smile that has been practiced over the years and was indistinguishable from his genuine smile. But Mikau saw Japas exhale slighlty as he preformed the act, and knew the smile to be fake.  
  
As Mikau sat down beside him, Japas let his face fall into an expressionless mask. He didn't even turn to face the Zorian Hero, but watched him from the corner of his eye. There was a moment of awkward silence between them before Mikau put his hands to his head and smoothed back his tail. He stared ahead, taking a deep breath.  
  
"Japas, I'm really sorry about what happened today at lunch." Mikau started. Japas turned to look at his friend, mildly surprised. What happened to the sense of pride the Zorian Heros were famous for? Apologies certainly weren't in their nature. "I was being too judgemental. I've been sticking my nose into your business and it's really not my place to choose who you hang around. Sure, I don't approve of them, but that doesn't I mean I have any right to change your decisions." This speech was difficult for Mikau. He shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "Heck, it's been so many years since we were seperated, Japas! We can't expect our friendship to just pick itself up where it had fallen. Forgive me?"  
  
Japas stared incredulously at Mikau for a few beats. Then he clasped his hands together to his chest and tilted his head to one side. "Aww, you DO care about me! That is sooooo *sweet*~!" Japas gushed, his voice dripping humor.  
  
Grinning, Mikau pushed Japas away. The air of tension between the two friends evaporated as if it was never there. Mikau was delighted and relieved to have his friend back. "You fool fish!" He laughed. Japas also laughed and elbowed his friend playfully in the ribs. In retaliation, the Zorian Hero managed to get Japas in a headlock and mess up his hair. Japas tried to wrap his tail around Mikau's neck like he used to do when the two of them wrestled as children. However, his tail was much shorter than it used to be, so he could only manage to slap Mikau's face with the fluke.  
  
The wrestling match between the two teens halted when Mrs. Yvett bounded into the room. The energetic Bottom-feeder held a burden of papers in her arms and took no notice of single sheets which escaped her grasp and trailed behind her. A Zora student picked up the stray sheets and handed them to the Singing teacher.  
  
"Thank you, dearie." Mrs. Yvett accepted the papers and stacked them along with their fellows. "Sit down everyone, sit down! Sit in your proper sections! The day is short and we've got lots to do!" While everyone was getting settled down, Japas took the opportunity to close his eyes and instantly fell asleep. Mikau had to hold him upright by the tail lest he fall into the lap of his neighbor. As soon as everyone was seated, Mrs. Yvett hurridly read through the attendance and started the singing exercises. Once again, Mikau questioned the usefulness of warm-ups, thinking them nothing more than a waste of time.  
  
"Everyone, look at this!" Mrs. Yvett cheerfully said when warm-ups were over. She handed each student a sheet of paper. "This is a song that we will be practicing for an upcoming concert. There will be a lot of singing in this course, hence the name, but don't get too relaxed! We will also be doing vocal conditioning and other boring stuff. But for now, let's concentrate on this..."  
  
Upon recieving the paper, Mikau traced the notes with a finger on his left hand, while his right hand twitched as if playing the music on guitar. Finding that the song was not suited to playing on his preferred instrument, Mikau instead mouthed the lyrics, giving him a feel of what the song was written for. The piece was called 'Thick, Red and Hot' and was written by some bloke named Lamis Brolo. There was a sharp intake of breath when Mikau realized that the composer was probably a Goron, since Brolo was a Goron last name. He's had so few chances to analyze works of other species! Playing songs by Zoras could be a little tiring at times since they're almost always dedications to the ocean. From Mikau's extensive knowledge of all genres of music, he knows that Gorons love to use drums in their songs. The Zorain Hero made a mental note to show Tijo the piece later.  
  
'Thick, Red and Hot' had a simple beat and leisurely rhythm, but the lyrics were difficult to pronounce. It's the kind of song that one could trip over his tongue trying to sing. Mikau's face twisted in disgust when he read the wording of the song. It was about some sort of boiling, drinkable liquid which turns into rock when cooled. Gorons sure have strange tastes. Not that Mikau could complain; some people view raw fish and grubs as inedible.  
  
The Zorian Hero moistened his lips when he thought of grubs. A handful of starflies would really hit the spot right now. He worked his jaws slightly as he imagined the crunch of the insects' exoskeletons between his teeth and their creamy juices rolling around on his tongue... But he quickly swallowed the excess drool in his mouth when he remembered that starflies were available only in Termina. It will be quite a while before he gets his paws on those wonderful delicacies.  
  
A short chain of piano notes shook Mikau out of his distant thoughts. "These are the first notes of this piece." Mrs. Yvett announced briskly. "Pretty nice, don't you think? Pay attention! You'll have to remember the melody if you're going to sing it!" The Bottom-feeder teacher repeated the notes on the piano.  
  
The students listened to the music intently, but became a mumbling mess when they tried to follow along with their voices. It took a full fifteen minutes for the class to grasp the complex wording of the first stanza and force it out of their throats. Mikau could have hissed aloud in frustration. He knew that it takes most Zoras considerable effort to sing, but he had no idea that the populace was this bad! Mikau looked to his left, where the sopranos were, and saw Lulu literally squirming in restlessness. No doubt she was equally unimpressed with the slow rate the other students were learning at. Their gazes locked for a moment, in which Lulu grimaced. Mikau stretched his lips out into a thin line, indicating that he symphasized with Lulu.  
  
On further examination, Mikau noticed that Japas and Evan were looking bored as well. In fact, the four of them were the only ones not struggling with the music. Mikau turned back to his paper with a smug grin on his face. Wasn't it an unlikely coincidence that his friends were the best musicians in the room.  
  
Before long came the end of class, to which everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. Stuffing the music sheets deep into their bags and bubbles, Mikau and friends hoped that they won't have to endure another torturous singing session again, or at least until tomorrow.  
  
"Goddesses! That took longer than necessary."  
  
"I hate to put down other people like this, but they sure take their sweet time in learning how to sing."  
  
"At least they try; you have to give them some credit there. Hey, if I had as little talent as them, I would have given up by now."  
  
"My tail itches."  
  
Lulu, Evan, Japas and Mikau swam outside, relieved to be free once more. Four Zoras released into the infinity of the ocean.  
  
End of Chapter 16  
  
Is it just me, or is this fic seeming like it's dragging out too long? I sometimes have trouble writing because there is little to no action in it. But I like this chapter because it includes every main character. And yay! Japas and Mikau are friends again! As for future chapters, I'll try to stop writing every class in sequence, in detail. Instead, I'll focus on key events from now on rather than obsessing over every detail as I tend to do.  
  
Everyone rejoice, because I've finally learned how to make websites! I've been working on chapter illustrations for a while, and now I can finally post my work. Go to http://www.geocities.com/eyesfive/OceanEternal.html to see them. Check back on it every once in a while, for I update without warning. I've posted this message in chapter 1 as well. 


	17. Rings

Chapter 17  
  
My heart beats with each pulse of fin  
  
I push myself ahead  
  
Refuse to cease this crazy swim  
  
Until I drop, half-dead  
  
I don't look back nor slow my pace  
  
My sight and mind grows dim  
  
I know I must complete this race  
  
Which only I can win!  
  
Herlarding the end of classes, Zoras of all shapes and sizes poured out from every university building. Students danced and shouted in newfound freedom, or slouched and mumbled about their quantity of homework. Although sprinkles of rain still blanketed the ocean surface, grey clouds were beginning to thin out, promising a brighter tomorrow. The Arts building spat out the trio of Mikau, Japas and Evan, while Lulu swam off in another direction, claiming that she has a wad of work to do. Mikau and Japas wanted to rush home to write a song. But before running off, Mikau turned to Evan, who was swimming in their general direction.  
  
"Hey Evan, are you coming back to the dorm with us?"  
  
"Nah." Evan shook his head, his thick, serpentine tail sensitive to his every movement. "I'm going to see Mr. Bayn. I'm thinking he might consider me for those self-defence lessons."  
  
"Oh, okay. ....What?!" Mikau did a double-take mid-water. His eyes were as round as orbs. "You're not serious, are you? Why?"  
  
"I ment it when I said I would like to take lessons with Mr. Bayn." Evan crossed his arms and stood up straight, even though he can't stand in the middle of the ocean. "Think about it. He's offering to teach you for free, out of class time. If he's willing to take me, then I can drop Phys Ed and take another music course or something. And I like self-defence, I really do."  
  
Mikau gaped at Evan increduosly, his eyes wide in disbelief. Japas swam in between the two. "I don't really know what's going on, guys, but another music course sounds breezy to me. You should take it, Mikau!"  
  
"You haven't seen Mr. Bayn, Japas. He's our Phys Ed teacher. Sure, he's nice and all, but he's about as predictable as a Morpha. I'd rather pass." Japas looked bemused at the statement but shrugged it off. The Zorian Hero shivered involuntarily. Then he turned to Evan. "Do whatever you like, man. It's up to you."  
  
Evan nodded and swam towards the gym. "See you tomorrow, guys!"  
  
"'Kay. Good luck! " Mikau waved good-bye to Evan and turned to his best friend. "Sooo...Where were we?"  
  
Japas' features suddenly lit up with anticipaiton. "Wanna race?"  
  
Mikau barked out a laugh. "You're kidding."  
  
"Nope."  
  
"You'll lose."  
  
"Watch me."  
  
"My pleasure." Mikau smirked at the challenge. How foolish. Surely Japas knows Zorian Heros are the swiftest creatures in the sea!  
  
A smile snuck up on Japas' face and he suddenly darted forward. Yawning, Mikau let Japas take the lead for a little while. Then, in a fluid roll of motion, Mikau raced ahead, chasing after his adversary. In no time at all, he had caught up to Japas who might as well be floating motionless compared to the speed of his competitor. The Zorian Hero drew alongside his friend and expected to see Japas' face warped in frustration. But Mikau recieved the surprise of his life when Japas suddenly streaked ahead with two, then three times his top speed!  
  
"What!?" Mikau shouted, releasing a cloud of bubbles out of his mouth. He stalled momentarily, shocked. "No way! Impossible!" But Japas laughed while Mikau said this. His voice faded as the distance between them grew.  
  
Gritting his teeth in renewed determination, the Zorian Hero burned every muscle in his body to catch up. His tail was a rod flat against his back and he pressed his arms against his body to reduce friction. He extended his arm fins and flipped them backwards to achieve maximum speed. Dispite all this, Mikau still found himself in the bubbles left by Japas' wake for most of the race. The normally fifteen minute stretch of water flashed by in a mere six minutes at the breakneck speeds the two Zoras were swimming at. Only during the final few meters of the race did Mikau manage to inch ahead of his opponent, relying on hidden reserves of strength.  
  
"I....win!" Mikau hissed, drawing ahead of Japas. Mere moments before a crash against the dorm's outer wall, Mikau flared his arm fins, using them as a crude brake. He flipped his legs forward and pushed his feet against the building, using the stone wall to complete his stop. Japas, on the other hand, didn't even bother to slow down. He swam right into a tunnel in the dorm. Shouts, screams and the occational profanity in the hallway marked the trail of the racing Zora who was unable, or unwilling, to stop.  
  
"Japas, wait!" Mikau called after his friend. He tried to give chase, but he knew that with the pedestrians in the way and his lost momentum, he would never catch up. Instead, Mikau headed towards the nearest ramp leading to the airside floors and began to run. Goddesses knew how Japas could suddenly swim so fast, but his speed on land is another matter altogether.  
  
Japas emerged from the other side of the dorm and finally slowed down enough to look behind him. He waited for the flash of bladed fin or flukeless tail that was the signature features of his best friend. Nope, Mikau hasn't caught up yet. Japas smirked to himself, an expression that usually scares small children out of their candy, and swam towards a ramp tilting upwards. Once on the ramp, out of water, the Zora stopped and removed an odd item from his pack. He rotated the object twice in his hand thoughtfully, then locked his scrutinizing gaze upon it.  
  
The object was a blue fruit which fit comfortably in the palm of his hand. But unlike normal plants, this fruit had little leafy feathers growing out of it to resemble a wing of some sort. Japas held the fruit over his head and squeezed. Liquid from the fruit dripped into Japas' hair and turned into fluid magic which coursed through his veins, leaving a tingling sensation. Charged with the newfound powers those juices gave him, the Zora started to run. He ran with inhuman speed, taking longer, faster strides all the way up to the seventh floor of the dorm. He practically flew through the hallway, dodging or even leaping over the occational Zora pedestrian. As Japas neared Mikau's room, he turned a sharp corner, misjudged the distance between his head and the door, collided with it, and managed to knock himself unconsious.  
  
In the hallways, Mikau caught sight of a blue blur which zipped around a corner in the direction of his dorm. That's one really fast Japas! But when the Zorian Hero finally caught up to the swift streak, he saw his friend lying prone against his dorm door with a developing bump on the head. He concluded that Japas either did his usual enter-a-room-without- checking-if-the-door-was-open thing or he got mugged. On closer examination, Japas' pack was still on him so the former scenerio was the most likely. Mikau unlocked the door, slung Japas over his shoulder and dumped him into the bath pool in his dorm.  
  
"Ack, pthhph!! *sputter* Ww...what!? Mikau! You dumped me in a pool of water!" Japas cried accusingly. "And HA! I won the race!"  
  
"You did not!" Mikau huffed self-righteously. "I touched the dorm before you did!"  
  
"Nuh-uh. I got to your dorm door first! THAT'S where the finish line is!"  
  
"Well you should have mentioned that earlier, fish!" Mikau unlatched his carrier bubble and made himself comfortable on a seaweed-woven chair. He took three sugared sardines out of a shell and threw the rest to Japas, who caught them with his teeth. "On another note, how did you swim and run so fast?"  
  
"I've been working out." Japas replied innocently. The tail of a sardine poked out of his mouth.  
  
"My tail, you have. You know as well as I do that it's physically impossible for normal Zoras to swim faster than Zorian Heros. It's a fact!" Mikau shook a sardine at Japas as if shaking an accusing finger.  
  
Of course, Japas snapped up the sardine and nearly took the finger with it. "Don't get too full of yourself, buddy." He said between swallows of fish flesh. But Mikau was still waiting for an answer to his question. Under the Zorian Hero's unwavering glare, Japas was compelled to answer.  
  
"Alright, alright. I'll spill." Japas smiled and shook his head helplessly. "For the running speed, it's a property of the 'Pegesus Seed', which grows only in the southern continent." He reached into his pack and handed over a fruit for Mikau to examine. "Just squeeze the juice over your head and you can run really fast for a while. Don't do it now, I only have five of those left!" Japas snatched the seed out of Mikau's curious hands.  
  
"As for swimming speed, look at this." Japas pointed at one of the rings on his left hand. He took it off and gave it to Mikau for closer examination. The ring itself was made of some simple silvery metal, but it held a small, blue colored gem in the shape of a waterdrop. Mikau examined it closely, holding it closely to his face, then turned to Japas with a questioning glance.  
  
"It's called a 'Swimmer's Ring'" Japas tried to sound all superior dispite the fact that he's sitting in a bath pool with a fish scale dangling on his lower lip. "A souvenier from Holodrum that I got as a gift. The thing about rings from Holodrum is that they sometimes possess special powers. Like Termina's masks. This Swimmer's Ring let's the wearer increase his swimming speed at will!"  
  
"How does it work?" Mikau inquired. He put the ring on his left index finger and admired it from afar.  
  
"It's like how our magic converts into electricity. You just concentrate your magic into the ring. It's easy." Japas smiled at his own explination. His expression of glee turned into one of confusion when Mikau walked past him. "Hey. Hey! Where're you going?"  
  
Mikau waggled his fingers, once of which bore the Swimmer's Ring. "THIS, I've got to try!" Japas hastened to follow his friend and turned the corner just in time to see the Zorian Hero swan dive off the ramp into the frigid waters below.  
  
"Careful, this is gonna be a bit weird. It's your first time using a ring." Japas cautioned a short while later. The two Sleeks bobbed in the ocean just outside the dorm building, heedless of the droplets of rain dancing on their heads. Beneath them, the first wave of students returning from school have just arrived and were disappearing into the honeycomb of holes riddling the dorm. The surface of the water broke occationally, caused by a stray Zora breaching the boundary between sea and sky.  
  
Mikau took a breath and said, "Okay...Let's work this thing..." Japas' instructions on using a ring seemed easy enough. Mikau flexed his electric glands, which were behind his collarbone, and created a visable ball of magic/electricity around his neck. The blue energy coursed down his left arm and down his hand, until the Swimmer's Ring was at the center of the ball. The energy was gone in the next instant, but the ring glowed, mirrored in the water like a small moon.  
  
"I'll say this again: be careful! I don't know how fast you might go with the Swimmer's Ring on top of your natural Zorian Hero speed." Japas fussed over Mikau like a mother hen. He held Mikau's hand and looked back and forth between the ring and Mikau's face. "Don't do anything I might do!"  
  
Mikau guffawed at Japas' last comment. "Amen! I agree with you...whooooaaaaaa!!" Without thinking about it, Mikau accidentally flicked an arm fin backwards. The next thing he knew, he was propelled ten feet away from where he was just floating.  
  
Mikau stared at the ring, amazed at the power it possessed. The ring winked right back. "Whoa..." The Zorian Hero said breathlessly. Japas scrambled towards Mikau. "That's some serious speed! I wasn't even thinking about moving and I did!"  
  
Japas laughed aloud, caught in his friend's sense of wonder. "Try again!"  
  
The Zorian Hero nodded and this time, willingly drove himself forward. There were no words that could describe the sensation of speed he experienced. And what speed! This was exhilaration at it's most intense! It was as if no friction existed between Mikau and the waters right against his skin. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that it was impossible but heck, who cares? Nothing existed except the roar of his fins slicing liquid in his ears and the endless blue that he was rapidly putting behind him. Occationally, he could hear the screams of, "Goddesses, what was that?!" and "Aaaah! Something just swam past me!" and other exclaimations, but Mikau discarded them as useless. It was only the Zorian Hero's inhuman reaction rate that kept him from crashing into Zora pedestrians.  
  
A trickle of light from the surface attracted Mikau's attention. It was the sun. A bare crack of the orb peeked through an opening in the clouds, lighting up the water under which a certain Zorian Hero ran a race against himself. Mikau whipped his tail to one side and pointed his fins downwards. The result was Mikau racing towards that light at a breakneck speed. He wondered if he could jump high enough to breach the clouds and touch the sun itself. Not quite, but when he leaped out of the ocean in a spray of liquid crystal, he was high enough to see the distant mainland beyond the university. He gracefully dove back into the water without so much as a ripple.  
  
Ten minutes later, Mikau started to slow down. The world around him was beginning to take recognizable shape again, rather than a speed-blurred streak of color. He wondered if he was getting tired or if the Swimmer's Ring was beginning to lose it's power. Suddenly, something grabbed his wrist, yanking him backwards.  
  
"AAahh! Wha...?" The hand, as it turned out to be, yanked the Swimmer's Ring off Mikau's index finger then released him. After a moment of adjustment to a relatively still landscape, Mikau realized that the hand belonged to Japas.  
  
"Great Goddesses, man! You're like a kid on crack with one of these!" Japas claimed, slipping the ring back onto his hand. But his expression of annoyance turned into one of mild concern when he noticed that Mikau still needed time to focus his eyes. "You okay? So how was it?"  
  
"It ruled! Holy...! Everything was just blowing by me and uugghh..." Mikau suddenly held his head in pain. He felt as if the world started moving and was leaving him behind. "Uhhh. I feel nauseous. Goddesses, I never thought I would swim fast enough to get dizzy!"  
  
"Ah, what a fish!" Japas laughed. " 'ere. Let me help you." He slid Mikau's arm over his shoulder and helped him make his way home. "Man, for an overgrown, blade-finned guppy, you sure are heavy! Oh, by the way, I want to give you this." The Sleek buried his other hand in his pack and it came out holding an odd black and white ring.  
  
"Another ring? Ooooo, what power does this one have?" Mikau found the energy to snatch at the ring but Japas held it out of reach.  
  
"Down, boy." Japas chided. "This is the 'Friendship Ring'. Why? I don't know. It's got no special power. The tradition of the ring is that if you have one, you're supposed to give it to someone you introduce magic rings to. There's twenty of them in existance and they've been all around the world." Japas finally yielded his ownership of the ring to Mikau.  
  
"Hey, there's a music note on it! How fitting." Mikau tried to put the ring on one of his fingers, but it was too big. Instead, he slipped it into his belt buckle for the moment. The two friends made their way back to Mikau's dorm slowly, because Japas was doing most of the swimming and Mikau's body weighed him down. They had to endure the weird glances they got from people who thought it odd for one Zora to carry the other. Once they were home, they found Tijo already in the dorm, peacefully reviewing his class notes.  
  
"Wow, I'm surprised that I got home earlier than you guys!" Tijo said without looking up. He licked a finger and used it to turn a page of a book. When he did chance a glance at Japas and Mikau, he stood up in concern. "Mikau! What's wrong? What happened to you?" Mikau had his eyes half closed and limped like a Redead, collapsing on a chair. He sighed heavily, seeming to deflate as air escaped his lungs and molded himself comfortably into the seat. He didn't fall asleep, but it was clear that he didn't feel like talking right now. Japas shook out his arms and stretched; his muscles were sore after carrying that Zorian Hero up from the tideline.  
  
"So what happened?" Tijo repeated, this time directing his question to Japas.  
  
"He swam too fast." Japas explained, nodding sagely.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"He used a ring!"  
  
"Huh?!" Now Tijo was totally lost.  
  
Japas sighed. "Never mind. It's a long story."  
  
End of Chapter 17  
  
In the Zelda Oracle series, Link uses magic rings for special powers. I guess that if you've never played either game, you would be confused by the mechanics of rings and such.  
  
So...how many people bothered to visit my website for chapter illustrations? I updated the Ocean Eternal page a bit, as well as some other areas of my site, if you're willing to look.  
  
Now is a good time to explain my update schedule. I update once every two to four weeks, depending on a number of factors including schoolwork and my writing speed. At the time that I post this chapter, I'll writing the beginning of chapter 20. I like to pace my readers and myself rather than posting as soon as I finish. I also give myself time for revisions so I don't end up completely redoing a chapter after it has been posted. I update chapter illustrations as soon as I finish them. 


	18. Audience with the king

Chapter 18  
  
Soul weeping  
  
Heart bleeding  
  
Memories sublime.  
  
Life greying  
  
Sight fading  
  
Voice stilled for all time.  
  
Death grips my heart; have I lived my life in vain?  
  
Heal my soul, bring me peace, Goddess, I pray!  
  
When will I see the light of a new morning?  
  
Have I forsaken the lives I hold dear?  
  
Hear me my loved ones, please don't mourn my passing  
  
On the horizon a new day draws near.  
  
-Song of Healing  
  
It was day 3 of university, lunch hour, in the cafeteria.  
  
With a smile and a slap of tails, Mikau let Japas go with his new friends without looking twice. He was determined not to let Rotan and his gang bother him in the least. Instead, he tried to follow the heated debate that Evan and Tijo were engaged in. Goddesses, those two really love their arguements! Their discussion was something about the phase of the moon in relation to the rise of the tide. But as much as he tried, Mikau could not talk fast or intelligently enough to keep up with the Bottom-feeder and eel- Zora's constant spew of words. Mikau drank some distilled ice water through a straw and leaned back, wondering what he could do right now.  
  
Mikau's current overview of the day: Evan was getting along very well with Mr. Bayn now, even though he's not the most athletic Zora in the class. Mr. Bayn has accepted him as a private pupil, and the eel-Zora has replaced Mikau as the class's potential star student. During Music Comp/Theory class, Prof. Iciirri gave the class a song-writing assignment. Mikau and Japas had hoped that they could revise one of their old songs to use, but the criteria was too specific. Still, it was no problem for the two maturing musicians. Japas was delighted to write a new song, and he considered criteria limits as an interesting challenge to tackle. Later in the day, King Zora was coming to visit the school. Mikau has never seen a Zora king before, and wondered how a Bottom-feeder could generate so much awe and respect amonst Zoras.  
  
Mikau leaned back on his chair's back legs as those thoughts drifted around his head. He turned his head to the side and smiled when he noticed Lulu sitting at a distant table. How come he never noticed her here before? She was laughing with one of her girl friends. Mikau sipped his straw contently, but suddenly choked on the water when he noticed who Lulu was talking to. In fact, Mikau lost his balance and the chair tipped, resulting in his tail colliding painfully with the floor.  
  
Evan and Tijo stopped talking long enough to help Mikau get back into his chair, then resumed their interrupted debate. Mikau spilled his cup of water all over himself, but it didn't worry him too much. Hey, he needed some hydration after all. What concerned him more was in Lulu's direction. The two female Zoras were both watching Mikau by now, and Lulu had a hand over her mouth, hiding a smile. The friend, however, looked unimpressed. She resumed eating as if Mikau's injury was of no concern to her.  
  
Lulu was a bit more sympathetic. She came over beside Mikau to see if he was okay. "Are you alright?" She asked, placing a hand on Mikau's tail.  
  
"Ow! It hurts!"  
  
"Oh! Sorry!" Lulu apologized and quickly withdrew her hand. Upon seeing Lulu, Evan and Tijo shifted over, providing her a space to place her chair. She smiled at their kindness but shook her head. "No, I'm not gonna sit here. I'm already sitting at a table over there, with my friend."  
  
"Your...friend?" Mikau ventured.  
  
"Yes. Her name is Altress. Have you met her before?"  
  
"Altress?" Evan's head jerked up when he heard that name.  
  
"Yesss, we've met her. She's in Phys Ed with us." Mikau coughed once and exchanged glances with Evan. Altress was not the most popular Zora between the two teens. Mikau recalled how she zapped him in the Jeeball game and the way she glared at him. Apparrently, Evan has also been on the recieving end of her wrath. "She wouldn't have happened to say anything about me, would she?"  
  
"No, not really." Lulu said. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why? Do you have a bad reputation with her?" Mikau sputtered for a response, but Lulu spoke again before he could answer. "I wouldn't be surprised if you do. After all, she's a devout feminist. She doesn't like men."  
  
"Oh really?" Evan and Mikau exchanged glances again. This was certainly news to them. All this time they assumed that Altress simply had an inborn detestment of anyone who looks at her.  
  
"Yeah. She's always like, 'Men are only after your body.' and 'Males think with testosterone.' and stuff like that. It doesn't help that she came from Hyrule. You know what it's like for females who come from there." Lulu shuddered. "There were a bunch of perverts staring at her first day, so I've heard. I think it's disgusting."  
  
Tijo answered with a wholehearted, "I agree!" Mikau and Evan, on the other hand, remained oddly quiet.  
  
Lulu laughed at their reaction. "I'm just teasing you guys. She's quite nice, once you get to know her. Too bad she doesn't take to males." She shrugged helplessly. "What can you do? You don't try to change your friends. You just accept them."  
  
"Oh." Mikau replied simply. He thought of how those words could apply to him and Japas. Sage advice from someone as beautiful and talented as Lulu. Mikau shook his head. Where did that thought come from?  
  
Lulu went to rejoin her friend Altress, who immediately questioned her association with Mikau and his friends, judging by the sidelong glances their way. But Lulu laughed off the accusations and directed the conversation elsewhere. Pretty soon the two of them were chatting about more innocent subjects.  
  
There was a small moment of silence between Evan, Mikau and Tijo, while each of them thought their own thoughts.  
  
Evan grimaced. "What a bitch." He said, breaking the silence.  
  
Mikau almost fell off his chair again. "What?! Who?? Lulu?!" He exclaimed in shock.  
  
"No! I ment Altress!" Evan clicked his fingers on the table irritably. His brow was wrinkled and he put an elbow on the table, supporting his chin with a hand. "What did we ever do to her? I hate people who stereotype, especially women."  
  
"You just stereotyped." Tijo mentioned casually.  
  
"Huh? No, that's a fact." Evan folded his hands together and spoke in a 'lecturing' type voice, as if he was speaking to a young child. "The Goddesses of Virtue ordained that those of opposite sex differ from each other in every concievable way in order make life as much a living hell as possible for us mortals. One of these differences is that women gossip more and have a weaker mind, which which makes them prone to stereotyping others."  
  
Tijo stared at Evan incredulously. "That's a horrible thing to say! Not only are you degrading females but you're mocking the Goddesses as well!"  
  
"I ain't touching this." Mikau commented. His words were lost to Tijo and Evan, who ignored the Zorian Hero in favor of arguing with each other.  
  
The piercing bell ended the debate prematurely, signaling the end of lunch and implying that students better get right back to class or face the consequences. Especially since they'll all be seeing King Zora soon. Tijo instantly forgot about his conversation with Evan and waddled off as fast as his stubby legs could carry him.  
  
Evan and Mikau lagged behind to push in their chairs and throw away the remains of their lunch. "What's with Tijo?" Evan asked.  
  
"Oh, he's just one of those people who feel a deep allegience to the king." Mikau said to the eel-Zora.  
  
"Ah. One of the devouts of tyranny." Evan sniffed.  
  
Mikau bore an ill-concealed frown on his face. "Are you always so cynical?"  
  
Evan thought for a moment. "No. I just have solid opinions. I think you either believe in something strongly or not at all."  
  
"But what if what you believe in is wrong?"  
  
"Well, you still must keep an open and accepting mind. I don't claim that anyone else's ideas are incorrect, I just debate them." Evan shrugged. "Hey, if I'm ever proven wrong, I'll just have to give in and take it like a man." He slapped Mikau's tail in a friendly way. "C'mon, we don't want to be late to meet his Highness. Let's see exactly how great this King Zora is."  
  
Mikau nodded his agreement and smiled. The two of them swam together for as long as possible until they had to split up to attend their various classes. Which was really unnecessary because in a few minutes, all the freshmen Zoras left their classes for the main university auditorium.  
  
Having never been to the auditorium, Mikau simply tailed the other Zoras who seemed to know where they're going. A few of them were apparently skipping school, for Mikau found himself partway to the dorm rooms before he realized his mistake in following them. Eventually, he located the auditorium by himself, and was amazed at how it could have escaped his notice.  
  
The auditorium was huge! From far away, the main body of the auditorium looked like a fat, nondescript dome with thick chunks of coral growing up out of it. The coral were actually passageways leading up to the higher levels of the building, which were used for the faculty of Law. Only the lowest floor was used for assemblies. Inside, neat rows of carefully tended Sargasso seaweed was used for anchoring people to their postitions, while a weaved mat of the same weed hung like a cargo net between the ceiling and the floor, providing a second level of seats for Zoras. A few bubbles of glass attached to the back wall permits non-Zoras to attend the underwater assemblies without choking to death.  
  
Mikau wandered into the auditorium, pushed and pulled by the wake of others. He wondered where he should sit.  
  
"Pssst! Up here, Mikau!" Japas called from the second level of seaweed. He had managed to stick his head through the tangled weave of aquatic plants in order to call down to his friend. Mikau gave a wild wave and swam upwards to meet Japas.  
  
"Hey, I saved you a seat. There's a hole in the seaweed over there. See it?" Japas pointed to his left, where a large rift in the weave allowed Zoras to pass.  
  
"Okay, I'll be up in a sec." Mikau was about to swim through the hole but Japas stopped him short.  
  
"Err, can you help me? I think my head is stuck in the weave." To demonstrate, Japas tried to yank his head back with little success. Mikau laughed at his friend's plight and pulled at the plant stems around Japas' neck.  
  
Mikau was having as much luck as Japas had in defeating the tangled weave. "Almost got it...Arrgh! No offence Japas, but your tail is not only short, but fat. And Goddesses, what is this stuff?" The weed stubbornly refused to release it's victim. In frustration, Mikau chewed on the thick branches of the Sargasso in hopes of breaking them. His teeth pierced the plant's skin, releaseing a hideous, raw-tasting sap that bled out of the injured stem. "Eeeuch! Nayru's mercy, what a nasty flavour!" Mikau spat, shaking his head to rid himself of the offending taste.  
  
The Zorian Hero had to give the university credit, though. They're certainly more clever than Termina in their choice of anchor seaweeds. He remembered how pitifully scrawny the weeds in his old classrooms were, struggling to survive the insatiable appetites of young Zoras.  
  
With a little more effort, Mikau was eventually able to free Japas from the seaweed around his neck and zipped up to join him. As soon as he settled down, the shells of iridescent fish on the walls suddenly closed and the shells facing the stage opened. A respectful hush fell over the audience. From the side of the lighted stage, a large Bottom-feeder Zora floated towards the center at a steady speed. That's right: floated. He was one of the biggest and roundest Zoras Mikau has ever seen, and as he bobbed along, little fins and a furiously flapping tail steered him towards the center stage. He wore a red regal cape embroided with golden string in the symbol of the legendary Water Sage. No doubt that this Zora was the King Zora of Hyrule.  
  
Three other Zoras also followed the king: another Bottom-feeder and two Sleeks. The Sleeks were obviously King Zora's attendants, judging by their expensive, yet not so elaborate clothes. One of them carried a bubble with something inside, something which twirled endlessly. Mikau squinted his eyes, and guessed that the twirling thing was a Zora tadpole.  
  
The Bottom-feeder was smaller, therefore faster than the king. He swam behind the podium at the front of the stage and waited for the last of the shuffling to die down. Then the Zora spoke in a formal voice that carried to the far reaches of the auditorium. He introduced himself as Mr. Armnent, the principal of Seafifth University, and spoke of how pleased he was to be principal of this fine school, blah blah blah, that this school has turned out some of the finest Zoras to grace the eternal oceans, blah blah blah, please give his Highness Flounden Vers, King Zora of Zora Domain a warm welcome!  
  
The Zoras from Labrynna and Hyrule, lands which both have kings, stood up in respect. They trilled in high-pitched Xyrian whistles, since clapping was impossible underwater. Zoras from Termina watched their peers and hesitantly copied their actions, not certain about how to behave in front of a king. King Zora replaced Mr. Armnent at the front of the podium and held a hand up for silence. The audience obliged.  
  
As bubbles rose towards the ceiling, King Zora spoke slowly, softly, yet the whole auditorium could hear him clearly. "Children of the deep oceans of Labrynna! Free people of exotic Termina! And finally, esteemed Zoras from my own crystalline waters of Hyrule! It pleases me to no end to be amongst this gathering of cultures from all corners of the world for the purpose of education."  
  
Way back in the ninth row, twenty third seat of the balcony level, Mikau stifled a yawn. This was basically the typical speech officials gave all the time and it gets boring. There was nothing special about King Zora. His voice was not terribly awe-inspiring, and his posture neither impressed his followers nor intimidated his enemies. Mikau wondered what was so great about this Bottom-feeder king. Thankfully, King Zora kept his speech relatively short, leaving plently of time before last block. He exited out the same way he came in, cheered on by a deafening roar of Xyrian whistles.  
  
"Should we go back to block 3?" Mikau asked Japas when the shells against the walls lit up again. Everyone got up to leave.  
  
Japas laughed. "Sure, why not? It's not as if you have anything else to do. Only, I have things planned! Rotan and the guys invited me to a tour of the Chaotic Rim. Y'know, that canyon between the university and the women's dorms." He hesitated. "You wanna come? There ought to be enough time to get there and back before last block starts." Japas watched Mikau's reaction carefully, hoping that they the Zorian Hero would be willing to accompany him. Why must Mikau be prejudiced against his new friends? Things would be so much easier if everyone just got along.  
  
"No." Mikau answered neutrally. "Guess I'll be seeing you in Singing." Japas sighed, defeated. But he smiled and swam away.  
  
While a vast number of Zoras tried to squeeze through one of two auditorium exits, Mikau noticed Tijo swimming against the crowd. How strange. Mikau weaved through the school of Zoras easily and met up with his roommate. The poor Bottom-feeder was making slow progress.  
  
"Tijo, the exit is that way." Mikau pointed to the direction of the flow but Tijo still resisted. He even grabbed Mikau's arm and tried to tow him along. "Hey! What gives??"  
  
"Just shut up and follow me." Tijo snapped. Mikau's never heard his roommate speak in that tone before and it was enough to stun him to silence.  
  
They passed by Lulu, who stared after them in confusion. She turned around and swam alongside Mikau. "Hey, the exit is that way. Where are you guys going?"  
  
Mikau shrugged helplessly. "I dunno. Ask the towboat."  
  
"Oh, Lulu! I didn't notice you." Tijo stopped to catch his breath. "We're going to see King Zora. Would you like to come with us?"  
  
"What?!" "Come again?" "King Zora?!" "Give your head a shake!" "We can't just waltz in there and expect to get an audience with the king!"  
  
Tijo smiled slyly. He turned and resumed swimming. "Are you coming or not?"  
  
Lulu and Mikau glanced at each other and silently agreed to follow Tijo, if only for the purpose of trying to make him rethink his mad quest. The three of them swam through a tunnel at the side of the stage, and thankfully, met no one on the way. The tunnel branched out a number of times, but Tijo followed the main one all the way to the end. There, they found a lone Sleek guarding the final tunnel. Mikau recognized him as one of King Zora's attendants. The attendant regarded the trio curiously.  
  
"Okay, now what?" Mikau whispered to Tijo, who stopped short of colliding with the attendant.  
  
"Hello, Talis. Is the king in?" Tijo said cheerfully, as if greeting an old friend.  
  
The attendant smiled. "Tijo! Quite a coincidence for us to meet here! Are these your friends?" Talis turned to Lulu and Mikau, who could only nod dumbly, not knowing what else to do. How did King Zora's personal attendant know Tijo by name?  
  
Tijo could barely contain his amusement at Lulu and Mikau's surprise. "Yes, these are my friends, Mikau and Lulu. I would like to introduce them to his Highness, if he's not too occupied at the moment?"  
  
Talis nodded without hesitation. "I'm sure King Zora will be thrilled to see you! One moment, I'll let him know." The attendant disappeared down the tunnel and reappeared promptly. "His Majesty, King Zora would now recieve you." He said formally, gesturing to the trio that they may enter. As Mikau and Lulu passed, Talis winked and added, "Don't be overly formal. His Highness prefers to be less stiff when among friends." Lulu laughed nervously and Mikau produced an awkward smile. That should be no problem; neither of them knew how to act in front of a king anyways.  
  
Tijo pushed aside a door of light-yet-durable volcanic rock and found King Zora waiting for him. "Why, it's the Ebb boy! Tijo! What a pleasant surprise!" The king cried jovially, swimming up to greet his guests. He hugged Tijo warmly and Tijo tried to hug him back, but was unable to wrap his arms around the larger Bottom-feeder. "Why, I remember when you were but a wee tadpole, and now you're in university! As the tides turn! You're almost as big as me!"  
  
"It's good to see you too, my king." Tijo replied, smiling ceaselessly. He stepped aside and gestured to Mikau and Lulu. "These are my friends, Mikau Lorecrest and Lulu Zeracotta." King Zora looked up and seemed to notice the two Sleeks for the first time. He appeared to have difficulty focusing his large, watery eyes. "Lulu is from Termina, and her mother is the Lulu of the Indigo-goes." Tijo intoduced. Lulu curtsied timidly in response.  
  
King Zora swam over to Lulu and held out his hand, palm up. She remembered this was the same way Tijo greeted her when they first met. She surrendered her own hand and the king gently planted a kiss on its back. "M'lady, it delights me immeasurably to make your acquaintance, for this moment shall be mine to treasure forever."  
  
"Thank you, King Zora." Lulu curtsied again. She caught Tijo's eye and smiled at him. It now seemed pretty obvious where he learned his manners from.  
  
Tijo turned to his other friend. "Mikau is also from Termina and he's my roommate. He's one of the last Zorian Heros." Mikau bowed stiffly, his torso making a 90-degree angle with his legs.  
  
"A Zorian Hero, hmm? Don't see many of the like around anymore." King Zora shook Mikau's hand vigorously. "Good to know the honorable lineage has not completely faded out. One day you'll make us Zoras proud, m'boy!"  
  
"Yes, sir." Mikau replied. He wasn't so sure about the king's last comment, but he's in no position to debate.  
  
The regal Bottom-feeder motioned to a few chairs and indicated that Tijo and friends should sit in them. The chairs had a hook to place an arm in so the person sitting in it doesn't float off. "This room is in a bit of a shambles but I'll only be staying here for a few more hours. Please, make yourselves comfortable. Merenda!" King Zora called out to his other attendant, who nobody had noticed before. She had been in the corner, tending to something which now rested on a cushion. "Merenda, please serve some refreshments to our guests."  
  
Merenda bowed and left the room. She returned shortly with a plate of delectables such as turtle meat and shark fin shards. Mikau and Lulu eyed the treats with interest. Some of these tidbits they have never tried before, only heard of.  
  
King Zora noticed their interest with amusement. "Don't be shy. Try the southern sea slugs; they're absolutely to die for. And try to eat them before they eat the rest of the snacks. Help yourself to anything you fancy."  
  
"If you insist." Mikau rubbed his hands together in anticipation before selecting a purple jelly-meat. He examined the morsal while rolling it between his fingers. Then realized he might be acting rude and popped the whole jelly-meat into his mouth. It tasted okay, but it had a tangy flavor which doesn't really match it's melt-in-your-mouth texture.  
  
The scent of the food attracted someone unexpected. A column of bubbles wafted upwards from the cushion in the corner and a Zora tadpole uncurled itself, wiggling it's body to move forward.  
  
King Zora beamed at the tadpole's efforts. "Ah, Ruto! You're awake! Here's some sea slug. Your favorite!" He held out a slug for the baby. It squealed in delight and made use of it's whole body to propel ahead. It wrapped it's tail around King Zora's hand to make sure the snail doesn't escape and tried to fit the whole thing into it's mouth. When that didn't work, the tadpole settled for nibbling off bits of the chewy, still wriggling treat.  
  
"Awww, she's so cute!" Lulu gushed. The baby completely ignored all the attention she was attracting.  
  
"How do you know she's a she?" Mikau whispered to Lulu. It was very difficult to distinguish the sexes of Zoras while they're still in their tadpole stage.  
  
"Oh, I learned it in Child Development class." Lulu explained. "You see those buttons above her eyes? They'll turn into vestigal eyes, just like mine, and only females have them."  
  
"This is my daughter, princess Ruto Vera." King Zora held the baby up for everyone to admire, as proud as a father could be. The little princess looked about two or three years old. She was already resembling a salamander more than a tadpole due to the tiny arms and legs growing underneath her main fins. Ruto's baby tail was shrinking as the rest of her grew, and the gills at the side of her head would eventually become ears. Her enormous blue eyes stared at all the new faces, blinking curiously.  
  
"Ruto, darling, you remember Tijo, don't you?" King Zora released the princess in Tijo's direction, but she swam towards Lulu instead. Lulu didn't move as Ruto swam within a breath of her face, not knowing if the king would object. The tadpole held Lulu's chin awkwardly with her stubby hands and examined the older Zora's face. But when she tried to nibble Lulu's nose, Lulu laughed out loud at the absurdity of it all. The baby squeaked in surprise and zipped back to the safety of her cushion.  
  
"Ah, she is soooo adorable!" Lulu had trouble trying to stop laughing as she rubbed her nose.  
  
King Zora chuckled. "My Ruto always did prefer females rather than males. Why, the little scamp prefers Merenda's company to mine. Merenda is her nursemaid."  
  
Mikau hasn't spoken for a while and felt inclined to add to the conversation. There was something he was wondering about. "In that case, where's her mother?" He asked curiously.  
  
King Zora swallowed and his jaw clentched visibly. "She passed away two years ago." He replied quietly.  
  
The mood in the room changed from jovial instantly to somber. Lulu gasped in shock. "Oh, I'm so sorry..." She looked down at her hands which she clasped in her lap.  
  
King Zora sighed and shook his head. "No no, it's alright. It happened a while ago; I had to move on. I suppose you didn't hear about the accident in Hyrule all the way in Termina. Two years ago, a caravan of Zoras traveled around the southwest rim of Hyrule on official business. They hugged the coastline which was lined with sheer rock cliffs. But at that moment, a fierce eastern wind assulted the caravan; the wisdom of Farore so ordained. The turtles and a number of Zoras were crushed against the cliffs, my wife and Tijo's father included."  
  
"Tijo's father??" Mikau said incredulously.  
  
Tijo nodded. "My dad was the Minister of Development for Zora Domain back then."  
  
King Zora nodded vigorously. "Yes, he was a good friend of mine and an excellent minister for the people. One of the best."  
  
"Ah, so that's how you and Tijo know each other!" Lulu exclaimed. Suddenly, the class bell sounded in the room, distorting in the water and panicking a certain Zora tadpole.  
  
"I guess that's our cue to leave." Tijo said regretfully. He bowed in parting and Mikau and Lulu followed his example.  
  
"Ah yes, the neverending torment of a student: lessons and homework. Then it's farewell until the next time we meet." King Zora slapped Tijo's back in a friendly way. (Bottom-feeders don't have tails long enough to slap.) The king turned to the two Sleeks. "Bring your friends next time you come home, Tijo. I'm sure they'll enjoy sightseeing around Zora Domain."  
  
"Of course, Sir." Tijo bowed again and left, with Mikau and Lulu in tow. He waved good-bye to Talis, who still dutifully stood at the door, as he swam out of the auditorium tunnels. "So, what do you think of King Zora?" The Bottom-feeder asked his friends once they were all out in the ocean.  
  
Lulu cocked her head thoughtfully and said, "He's better in person than on stage. Much nicer, less stiff. I'm surprised that he even bothers to look at commoners like us! I can see why you like him, Tijo."  
  
Tijo sighed. "He's been taking care of me and my family since my dad died. He's like another father to me."  
  
"I guess that would make you a prince." Mikau commented.  
  
"Well..." Tijo couldn't think of any witty comeback, so he just smiled. The trio reached a fork between buildings where Mikau and Lulu had to part ways with Tijo. Swimming side by side, the two Sleeks were off to their last class of the day.  
  
End of Chapter 18  
  
Yes, Ruto is still a tadpole in this story. It makes sense if you think of the whole Zelda timeline: Link is 10 when he meets Ruto, who is about the same age. Link meets Mikau a year or so after, and by that time, the Zorian Hero is already way past university and has made a name for himself among the Indigo-goes. So Ruto would be but a baby while Mikau was in school.  
  
I recieved a lot of positive feedback about my "Ballad of the Windfish" back in chapter 14, so I wrote the lyrics to the "Song of Healing" from Majora's Mask. Nifty, no? Try reading it while listening along with the Song of Healing. Props to all my loyal fans who support me with their numerous reviews. *hint hint, wink wink, nudge, nudge*  
  
And thanks to Stormcat2002 for letting me use the Chaotic Rim from his story. He's written a fanfic titled "Ocean Sun" which is loosely inspired by "Ocean Eternal". If you're done with this fanfic, go and check it out. 


	19. Breathe

Chapter 19  
  
How high must the ocean be  
  
For crash of water, make.  
  
How nigh must the future be  
  
For path of action, take.  
  
Opening chords from the whale ivory piano echoed in the high ceilinged Singing classroom. The notes gradually slowed and paused, hesitating as if it's holding its breath, waiting...waiting... The singers anticipated this moment and itched to end the tension of music. They took a deep breath...  
  
And suddenly Mrs. Yvett slammed her hand on the piano keys. The air that the students collected in their lungs came out in surprised cracking notes or hissing sighs rather than the singing notes they were supposed to produce. The students started talking among themselves in confusion, wondering what prompted their teacher to halt the song so abrubtly, so harshly. Mikau raised an eyeridge at Japas, who stood beside him. The thinner Zora shrugged back but the two of them shared no words. Lulu and Evan, on opposite ends of the benches, exchanged grimaces.  
  
Mrs. Yvett, who still had one hand on the piano, put her other hand on her forehead as if he has a headache. She chewed her bottom lip in frustration. The Bottom-feeder whirled around to face her class, regarding them with one eye, then the other. But she quickly said in her usual cheerfulness, "Sorry about that. Let's try again."  
  
Mrs. Yvett's fingers flew over the piano keys, again playing out the opening chords. Evan listened and watched the Bottom-feeder's playing with curiosity. Being a talented keyboarder himself, the eel-Zora critically analyzed Mrs. Yvett's skill with the piano. Her playing was decent, but lacked imagination. Sure, she got all the pianissimos, crescendos and fortissimos exactly where they're written to be, but Evan sensed her music lacked an element of emotion and personal imput.  
  
Anyways, when the opening reached the part where the vocals came in, the students all took a deep breath. But once again, Mrs. Yvett slammed her hand on the piano keys, clearly distressed. The discordant piano notes grated in the ears of the listeners and the students again erupted in confused chatter. The teacher quickly recovered and gestured for slience.  
  
"I knew it! I didn't see this before, but it seems that all of you have a really big problem with singing!" Mrs. Yvett seemed more frustrated with herself than with the students. Which was a relief, because no one knew what they did wrong and no one wants to see this sweet teacher angry at them. "Everyone try this: take a deep breath."  
  
The students were still waiting for an explanation but obediently obliged. At the peak of their lung capacity, Mrs. Yvett yelled, "Stop! Hold your breaths!" Most of the Zoras froze with their chests expanded and some of them even had their cheeks puffed out in effort to keep the air in. A few of them, Japas included, found everyone else's expressions so hilarious that they lost their breath laughing.  
  
"Aha! So this is the problem!" Mrs. Yvett proclaimed, picking up her conducting stick and waving it around. "I guess I didn't notice this before, but most of you don't even know how to breathe properly when singing! Let's see..." The Bottom-feeder paused, noting all the faces in the room that were beginning to turn purple. "Oh, by the way, you can exhale now." Everyone did so in relief.  
  
"What is she talking about, Mikau?" Japas whispered to the Zorian Hero. "I know perfectly well how to breathe!" Mikau put a finger to his lips in sort of a 'shhh!' gesture. It intrigued him that something as natural as breathing could be done wrong.  
  
"Everyone take a couple more deep breaths. Don't worry about holding it in this time." The students obeyed until Mrs. Yvett said, "You! Evan, correct? Come down here; you look like you know how to breathe properly. Why don't you demonstrate for everyone?" Evan went to the front of the room and breathed in and out. Mrs. Yvett poked Evan's stomach with her conducting stick. "Do you see that, everyone? When you breathe in, you want to extend your belly instead of your chest. It's the proper, natural way to breathe airside. You can hold more air in the stomach and your diaphragm has more power to push out with. Thank you, Evan, return to your spot. Now everyone else, keep breathing. I'll come around to check if you are doing it right."  
  
As the Singing teacher squeezed herself between the students on the benches, she tried to correct their breathing with limited success. Mikau noted there were only four people which Mrs. Yvett credited with perfect breathing: Evan, Lulu and two other Zoras. When the teacher reached him, the Zorian Hero fully expected to be the fifth of the perfect breathers. After all, he's a talented musician, or so he's often told. (At least in guitar.) But when Mikau demonstrated his ability to breathe in, Mrs. Yvett only shook her head and frowned.  
  
"Try this, dearie. Put a hand on your stomach and when you inhale, you should be able to feel your belly protrude outwards."  
  
Mikau tried this, but all he could manage was to extend his belly while still breathing as he did before. It didn't feel natural. Mrs. Yvett knew this as well, but she has other students to attend to. "You should practice until you get it right, Mikau. Yes, I admit it's a strange concept to grasp, but you must learn how to breathe properly." The teacher moved on to the next student.  
  
Mikau sighed and turned to his best friend. "Japas, do you get this whole breathing thing?"  
  
Japas had his arms crossed and nose wrinkled distastefully. "This is stupid." He muttered. He was indignant at being told that his breathing was incorrect. "How can my breathing be wrong?! If I'm getting air into my lungs, then I'm doing it right! Especially since I was born airside. I was born with lungs before anyone else had them."  
  
"Oh, quit griping. We'll get it sooner or later." Mikau said. And later it would probably be, for this whole class became devoted to just getting the breathing right. All one and half hours of class. By the time the bell rang, most of the students have become dizzy from hyperventilation. Mikau, Evan, Lulu and Japas walked out of the Arts building together, squinting in the early autumn sunset as they did so.  
  
"Ah, I wish we could get on to the actual singing part of this Singing course." Lulu moaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She jumped off a ledge which was usually underwater, but the tides were unusually low today. Japas, Mikau and Evan followed suit, taking care not to land on each other as they splashed into the water. "Evan, where are you going?" Lulu asked, seeing the eel-Zora veer off to another direction.  
  
Evan turned around and blinked. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. From now on, every other day after school, I'll be spending half an hour at a fighting course."  
  
Lulu blinked, her expression unreadable. "But why??" She suddenly cried.  
  
The eel-Zora was a little taken aback by her concern. "Well...for exercise, self-defence and because it's interesting to learn."  
  
Now the girl looked annoyed. She put her hands against her hips and raised her chin, looking almost like a parody of Evan's usual pose. "It's always like this. You never tell me anything. You never have time to do anything because you always sign up for all these extra-curricular courses that you don't need."  
  
Now it was Evan's turn to be annoyed. He copied Lulu's actions but somehow looked more assertive than her. "Don't be so selfish, Lulu. I can't be thinking of you all the time, can I?"  
  
Lulu pouted, shifting into the very image of sadness. "But we hardly spend any time together..."  
  
Evan swam close to Lulu and chuckled gently to reassure her. He placed a tender hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's not as if we're countries apart anymore. You'll be seeing me every day and trust me, you'll get sick of me soon enough."  
  
His comment caused Lulu to laugh. She playfully pushed him away. "Fine! Go away, you fish! I'll have Mikau and Japas to keep me company." She turned to the two other Sleeks.  
  
Mikau twitched at the mention of his name. He had been hoping to avoid notice for a while, at least until Evan and Lulu finished their delicate moment. He was embarrassed at having listened in on their conversation and he could feel it expressed as an increase of blood rising to his cheeks. He felt like an eavesdropper and a prude at the same time.  
  
Japas bit his bottom lip. "Actually, some of the guys and I wanna hang out after school. Sorry." As if on cue, three other Zoras swam out from behind a building. One of them waved to Japas. Japas waved back and gave a shout. "That's them over there. See ya!" He flicked his tail and swam towards the other Zoras.  
  
Once they were well out of earshot, Lulu tugged Mikau's arm. "Mikau, those are members of the CryBax gang, aren't they?" She asked anxiously. Mikau hesitated, then nodded his head. Lulu's lips tightened. "But why? I thought Japas is friends with you!"  
  
Mikau looked at her with a pained expression on his face. "What does this have to do with me?" He asked.  
  
"Well, you're his best friend, aren't you? And you don't want Japas involved in any gang, right?" Mikau nodded to both questions. Lulu tightened her grip on his arm. "Then you should do something!"  
  
Mikau put a hand on his forehead and ran it down the length of his tail in a gesture of exaspiration. He sighed. "It's not as if I haven't tried. He's been lost for six years, remember? I don't know all that he's been through in that time or what kind of person he is now. Hey, as long as he doesn't have the CryBax tattoo on his arm, I'll be happy."  
  
Mikau and Lulu watched as the shrinking specks that was Japas and the other three Zoras were joined by eight other people. Then they all suddenly veered off to the right, like a school of startled fish.  
  
"Must be hard to see a friend like this." Lulu said quietly. There was a thoughtful silence between them for a second. Then Lulu abrubtly turned to Mikau and smiled, her long eyelashes flashing. "So, your place or mine?" She asked brightly, changing the topic.  
  
"Huh?!" Mikau was shocked by Lulu's words. D...did she really mean what she said!? Mikau felt his face growing purple and sputtered for a response. "I um...uh s,wha...what? No, no!"  
  
Lulu gave him an odd look. "Ooookay...Then do you have some other place to hang out? We can go to the mainland and go sightseeing but I'm afraid we'll get lost without someone who knows their way around."  
  
"Huh? Oh! You just want to hang out!" Mikau coughed and recovered himself quickly. "I misheard you before. Um, I don't think we should go to my dorm because Tijo has more academic courses than us this semester. I don't think he wants to be disturbed all the time."  
  
"Okay! Then my place it is!" Lulu declared cheerfully. She still had her hand on Mikau's arm, which she used to pull the Zorian Hero forward. "I noticed that you need some work on your breathing for singing. We can work on that."  
  
Mikau groaned. "Aww, do we have to? I mean, breathing is breathing, isn't it?"  
  
Lulu laughed at his irritation. "A musician that can't sing?" She teased. She let go of his arm so they can swim easier. "The proper breathing is pretty easy to learn. It's just hard to explain in words how to do it. I'll show you, but not here; I'll choke. Let's go quickly."  
  
But quickly for Lulu was not that quick for Mikau. The Zorian Hero had to swim at a very leisurely pace so he doesn't overtake the female Zora. Lulu's large fins pulsed and sometimes flapped back powerfully for a quick burst of speed. When she did, she would sometimes brush Mikau with the edge of her fin. Mikau didn't mind the touch. He found it odd how her fins could be so soft and delicate, like the gentle caress of water. His own fins could become blades as strong as steel if need be, though they weren't contracted right now. Mikau tried to inch closer to Lulu but she moved upwards in search of an easier water current. The low tides today were causing much disturbance in the sea; Mikau and Lulu were almost at the water's surface before they found a favorable current.  
  
The female dorms were located east of the university while the male dorms were to the southwest. Mikau usually has to squint his eyes when swimming back home but this time, the sun shone at his back, casting a long shadow in front of him. The sun setting so early...winter must be soon upon Hyrule. To his right, Mikau's sight stretched out as far as the oceans extended, while to the left, towering cliffs jutted upwards, up to the airside before tapering off. That would be the beginning of the mainland, the rolling plains of Hyrule field. But a little bit before that, the ocean floor took an abrupt dip, forming an underwater canyon known as the Chaotic Rim. It was basically a scar in the earth formed by volcanic activity of the past. The Chaotic Rim was known for its warmer seawater which was caused by still-active volcanic vents. Too uncomfortably warm for Zoras actually, but the heated water supports a variety of wildlife.  
  
Now that he thought about it, Mikau recalled that Japas went to explore the Chaotic Rim today. He would have to ask Japas to show him around sometime; the two of them used to love exploring the coral caves around Zora Hall.  
  
The women's dorms were much different than the men's dorms. For one, it was carved out of an actual island. It was sort of a natural dirt brown rather than the grey of granite that most Zora abodes are made out of. Mikau could even see grass and trees growing out of the airside portion of the building. The doors to individual apartments riddled the outside of the island like Swiss cheese. In contrast, the rooms in the men's dorms were connected to one of few tunnels which eventually leads into the heart of the building.  
  
Zoras, almost all females, clustered together in their gossip groups, drifting along as if they didn't really care where they'll end up. And because there were no males around, many of the Hylian girls discarded the confinement of cloth against their skin. Mikau was tempted to take a second look at some of the more voluptuous ones, (who wouldn't?) but resisted the urge. There were waaaay too many females around and he was afraid of what might happen if he provoked one of them.  
  
Lulu's room was well above the tideline, so she and Mikau had to walk up a spiral platform similar to those in the male dorms. Except these platforms had a coarse carpet of grass on them. It has been a long time since the Zorian Hero's had such rigid plantlife bend under his feet. It felt odd and he said so to Lulu.  
  
"Oh, really?" She replied with a grin. "I take it you don't go to the mainland too often. Well, you should!" Lulu walked confidently forwards while Mikau stepped cautiously, wary of sharp objects that the grass might hide and what they can do to feet not supported by the water's bouyancy.  
  
"I travel a lot with my mom and the Indigo-goes." Lulu started. "I've been to all the major cities, whether or not they're cities for Zoras. Here we are."  
  
Lulu stopped abrubtly in front of a wooden door, making Mikau bump into her. Mikau acted fast and grabbed Lulu by her shoulders before she could fall. "Oh, geeze, I'm sorry!" The Zorian Hero cried.  
  
Lulu only twisted her head sideways, looking at Mikau with one main eye and one vestigial eye. Their gazes held for a moment before Lulu smiled and straightened herself. "It's okay." She said and busied herself unlocking her dorm door. Mikau swallowed and entered after her. But when he did, the sight before him replaced his growing nervousness.  
  
"AAAA!! Goddesses, make it stop! My eyes!" Mikau cried, covering his face with his hands.  
  
"Oh, c'mon, it's not THAT bad, is it?" Lulu laughed, refering to the mess her dorm was in. She laughed at Mikau's exaggerated reaction. "You overgrown tadpole! I, unlike you, don't have time to waste over little things like keeping my dorm clean. Come in and have a seat while I tidy up a bit." The female Zora led Mikau to a chair by the hand. His other hand still covered his eyes, though he was peeking through the cracks. He waited patiently while Lulu threw away unfinished meals and put everything else into a pile in the bedroom. Mikau noticed that the bedroom has two bunks and concluded that Lulu has a roommate.  
  
"Can I look now?" Mikau asked.  
  
Lulu pushed the rest of her junk into the bedroom and shut the door. "Yes. And stand up."  
  
Mikau did so and found Lulu standing very close in front of him. So close that he could feel her breath and the light wind made by the twitching of her fins. She sized him up from head to toe, making Mikau very self-conscious and nervous. What was she doing?  
  
"Take a deep breath." Lulu commanded.  
  
"Oh no." Mikau groaned. "Not more breathing exercises!"  
  
"Yes! The sooner you get it right, the better." Lulu waved a finger in front of the Zorian Hero as if she was admonishing a child. "Now breathe!"  
  
"Yes, Warden." Mikau muttered but began breathing deeply. Lulu watched the rise and fall of his chest for a while, expression unreadable save for an occational twitch of the lip or glint in the eye. Finally, she motioned for him to stop and sit. Mikau gratefully did so; he was dizzy from all that controled breathing.  
  
Lulu shook her head. "That's all wrong. You breathe like a Goron bellows."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"It's true. Although everyone knows that it's the lungs that take in air, it's wrong to think that your chest should expand when breathing in deeply. You don't want your chest to heave and you want your shoulders to move as little as possible." She demonstrated the incorrect breathing form by exaggerrating the lift of her shoulders and the rise...and fall of her chest.  
  
"Mikau? Are you listening?" Lulu watched the Zorian Hero curiously. He had zoned out for a moment, staring straight ahead at her. "Mikau?" She repeated.  
  
"Uh, what?" Mikau shook himself out of his funk. He suddenly turned an interesting shade of purple and coughed to cover it up. "I'm sorry. I, um, zoned out for a moment."  
  
"You see? Breathing incorrectly makes you weak and you cough and stuff!" Lulu announced triumphantly. "Even humans, who are born to the air, have trouble if they breathe like that for too long. Now, let me show you the correct way. Here, put a hand on my stomach."  
  
"O...okay." Mikau stammered. He placed a hesitant hand on the female Zora's bare midriff and felt her belly expand and relax. He noted that while she did so, neither Lulu's chest nor shoulders moved. Mikau also noticed how smooth and soft her pale-blue skin felt under his own darker, rougher hand. If he moved that hand a few inches up or down, his fingers would be under the folds of her clothes...  
  
Mikau shook off that thought and swallowed hard. He wouldn't dare. He thought of what Lulu might think of him and what Evan might do. Yeah, Evan is still Lulu's boyfriend. Mikau resisted his temptations and tried to concentrate on what he came here to do.  
  
Lulu stopped her controlled breathing and Mikau took his hand away. "Now we'll try to get you to do it." Lulu said. "But instead of standing up, I want you to lie down. And just breathe normally. You can feel your stomach move easier when your horizontal."  
  
"Where did you learn all this stuff from?" Mikau asked as he found an empty spot on the soft carpet of moss.  
  
"My Singing tutor. My mom used to send me to a bunch of Singing courses." Lulu said and sat down next to the Zorian Hero. "Put a hand on your stomach and breathe normally."  
  
So Mikau was stuck lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling with a hand on his stomach. He tried to breathe normally as he was instructed to, but being concious of the air in his lungs made the act of breathing awkward. Lulu fiddled absently with an edge of her fin, staring ahead absently. "So Evan tells me you're from Sunrise sector of Zora Hall." She said, trying to make small talk. "I haven't been there in years; what's it like?"  
  
Mikau frowned slightly. How was he supposed to concentrate on his breathing with Lulu talking to him in that sweet voice of hers? Not that he was complaining or anything. He shrugged. "What is there to say? It has less stores than the shopping district, it's cleaner than the Tail zone and the water is calmer than the Head Zone. It doesn't have actual buildings like the Sunset sector but it's houses are carved from the walls. It hasn't changed much in all my life's memory."  
  
"I have a house in Sunset sector, but I don't usually live there. The Indigo-gos tour so much that I visit home a month out of a year or something."  
  
"Yeah? Is it hard to move around so much?"  
  
Lulu sighed. "I'm used to it. It's nice to see the world, but some stability would be nice too. Now that I'm in university and am semi- independant, I can finally sit my butt down for four years."  
  
Mikau turned his head slightly to look at Lulu. "So, what do you plan to do after university?"  
  
Lulu wringed her fin. She looked down at Mikau and found herself staring into his aqua-gem eyes. "I dunno. My mom wants me to take over her position in the Indigo-gos, but I don't really want to."  
  
"But why not?! You'd be great! And don't you want to be famous?"  
  
"But if I simply take over my mom's position, I'll just be known as 'the little Lulu' or something, y'know what I mean? I'll be in my mom's shadow. Besides, all the other band members will be older than me. I'd like to have a band that is completely new, one that I forge for myself." After her little speech, Lulu abruptly yawned.  
  
Mikau found the yawn contagious and though he resisted, eventually gave in to the urge. Lulu suddenly pressed her hand on top of Mikau's hand on his belly, making the Zorian Hero jump slightly at the touch.  
  
"Did you feel that?" Lulu asked a surprised Mikau. "When you yawned, you actually took a deep breath by expanding your stomach, not your lungs. It's natural. Yawning also helps singing because it gets you more air and raises your soft pallet. But we'll get to that some other day."  
  
It dawned on Mikau that Lulu was making small talk before to take his mind off his breathing. And she was also able to con him into yawning. But Mikau's greatest realization at that moment was that he finally understood what Lulu and Mrs. Yvett ment by 'the proper breathing'. All of their suggestions and examples made sense now that he has experienced it for himself. He took a controlled breath from the stomach.  
  
"You got it!" Lulu cried. She grabbed Mikau's hand and pulled him up. "That wasn't so hard, was it? Now try singing something."  
  
Mikau beamed, giddy as a child at Lulu's praise. With the new technique he learned, he drew a breath and released a long, pure note. Then he sang a phrase. Lulu's eyes sparkled the whole time; happy that Mikau has now learned how to breathe properly, and also pleased with her own accomplishment in teaching him.  
  
"So, how was that?" Mikau asked triumphantly.  
  
Lulu tightened her lips and gave Mikau a sly, sidelong glance. "Better." She said. Mikau sagged a bit. "The hardest part of this type of breathing is remembering to use it all the time. You also need to work on the power of your notes and your posture. We can work on that next time."  
  
Next time?? Before Mikau could say anything, Lulu pulled him to the door. "It's almost six. I don't want to make you late for dinner." She explained.  
  
"Oh? What about your world-famous cooking I've heard about?" Mikau teased. He had been hoping to stay longer. Maybe it was the sound of her voice, maybe it was her perky charm and humor, but for some reason, Mikau really enjoys any time he spends in Lulu's company.  
  
Lulu sighed. "My roommate offered to cook tonight and she didn't plan on having an extra guest. I guess it's clammed leftovers for you."  
  
Mikau feigned dispair. "Ah, my so plight is known." He said as he walked outside.  
  
Lulu stood in the doorway, smiling at Mikau's act. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mikau."  
  
The Zorian Hero nodded and turned around, an inch away from the sheer drop into the ocean. "Farewell." He said. And with that, he backflipped off the cliff and disappeared into the velvet waters, leaving only a slight ripple in his wake.  
  
End of Chapter 19  
  
Yes, even musically talented people sometimes don't realize that they don't breathe correctly. It took me four years in choir to figure that out.  
  
If anyone has noticed, I'm also working on another multi-chapter fanfic named Hatchling. No, it doesn't mean I've abandoned Ocean Eternal, but updates will be slower because of it. I'm also delaying the next chapter so I'll have time to play Wind Waker (when I get it) and maybe incorperate some elements from the game into my fanfic. 


	20. Land ho!

Chapter 20  
  
A field of flowers and grass, not weeds  
  
Bend to the will of wind, not tide  
  
Above me: the blue of sky, not sea  
  
The creatures around me don't swim, but fly  
  
"WEEKEND!!! WEEKENDWEEKENDWEEKENDWEEKEND!!!"  
  
"Who in Din's mercy is yelling out there?" Tijo complained, dropping his breakfast trout.  
  
"Mnnuh, whhua?" Mikau answered groggily from the bedroom. The Zorian Hero was usually up before the sun, but makes special exceptions for the weekends. This was the first time since they've lived together that Tijo was up earlier than Mikau.  
  
"I'll go see what's going on." Tijo announced and opened the dorm door. He was immediately bowled over by Japas.  
  
"WEEKEND!!! WEEKENDWEEKEND!!! Mikau, wake up you floppy fillet o' fish!" Japas ignored Tijo completely and launched himself onto the second level of Mikau's bunk bed, pulling the Zorian Hero down by the tail. They landed on the moss carpet with a dull thud. Mikau tried to get Japas in a headlock to repay him for his rude awakening, but the smaller Zora anticipated this and expertly dodged the attacks.  
  
Tijo ran into the room. "No! Go somewhere else to wrestle! My drum set is in here!" The Bottom-feeder stood with his back to his instruments, pushing Mikau and Japas away when they rolled too close. The bedroom was getting quite crowded with three people in there all moving at once.  
  
"Um, hello? I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" A feminine voice called out from the still-open front door. Japas and Mikau halted, their scruffle temporarily forgotten, and Tijo hurried to greet Lulu at the door.  
  
"Good morning, Lulu. You're just in time for another episode of Japas vs. Mikau." The Bottom-feeder led Lulu in by the hand. Lulu's other arm was wrapped around Evan's crooked arm, who in turn was holding a cloth-wrapped bundle in his remaining appendage. Japas poked his head out of the bedroom, curious to see the visitors. Mikau followed, still yawning dispite the bit of morning exercise with his friend.  
  
"Hey, fellow frat boys!" Evan announced heartily. "What are you guys planning to do this weekend, the first weekend of university?"  
  
Mikau, Tijo, and Japas looked at each other and shrugged. "We could stay here, play charades, order takeout, and do homework." Tijo suggested.  
  
Evan barked out a laugh. "Goddesses, you guys need a life!"  
  
Lulu humorously agreed. "We're going to the mainland and staying there until Sunday evening. Are you interested in coming with us?"  
  
"Huh?" Mikau goggled at the sudden proposal. "The mainland? But we don't know our way around! And where will we stay for the night?"  
  
Japas rolled his eyes. "We'll camp out on the surf, of course! Don't tell me you've never done that before!" He was obviously very taken with the idea of a short vacation. They might not have another chance to relax on weekends once the homework starts piling up.  
  
Evan sensed Mikau's hesitation. "C'mon! It'll be fun!" He prompted.  
  
"Guppy...guppy..." Japas chanted.  
  
"We'll leave you all alone if you don't go." Lulu threatened.  
  
"Alright! Alright! I never said I won't go!" The Zorian Hero waved off all his pestering friends. "It just seems so sudden, that's all."  
  
Mikau turned to his roommate, who hadn't said anything for a while. "Hey Tijo, you're coming, aren't you?"  
  
"Hmm..." The Bottom-feeder had his lips curled up and eyes closed in deep thought. Actually, he was looking forward to some quiet time at home, but he doesn't want to be the odd one out either. "Well, if I don't go, you guys'll probably torment me to no end. Fine! I'll tag along."  
  
"Excellent. Well, let's make waves already." Evan turned to leave, but Japas stopped him.  
  
"Hey, wait. We're going to visit Veritora while we're there, aren't we?" Japas asked. Evan nodded. "Well, that's a human village. Shouldn't we bring clothes? Y'know, some humans are a bit touchy about that."  
  
"Nah. This village gets Zora tourists all the time since it's so close to the university. They'd be used to it by now."  
  
Japas looked thoughtful. "Oh, okay. I've lived for a while in Holodrum, and they don't get Zoras very often. I had to wear clothes while I was there."  
  
"Let's go already! The tide won't stay high forever!" Tijo yelled with extra enthusiasm, showing none of his previous hesitation. He began to fill a bag with various traveling supplies.  
  
"What are you doing?" Evan said, pulling Tijo away. "The theme for this vacation is minimalism! If we're hungry, there's plenty to catch in the ocean. If we're sleepy, we'll just camp out on the surf."  
  
The Bottom-feeder resisted. "I don't think so! I mean, how often do we visit the mainland? I'm not gonna miss the exotic land foods we'll come across. At least let me bring a few rupees."  
  
"Yeah, and if we're not gonna bring anything, what's with that package?" Mikau pointed to the bundle Evan was holding under his arm.  
  
"That's my stuff." Lulu said quickly.  
  
Evan rolled his eyes. "Daughter of a diva. Can't live without a decent wardrobe." Lulu gave him a disgusted look that got a laugh out of everyone else.  
  
The only thing that delayed them further was Mikau locking up his dorm door. Then the five of them dived into the ocean and headed towards the mainland, streaks of silvery blue.  
  
The tides were high this morning, causing a host of marine animals to swarm around the tidal pools. Japas, Mikau and Evan hugged the shoreline, swimming rapidly to catch the creatures in their open mouths while they traveled. Tijo was slower than the others, but had a bigger mouth, so he caught just as many shrimp and fry as the rest of them. Lulu abstained from eating to prevent stomach cramps, which both Evan and Tijo ended up with later on.  
  
Mikau's excitement grew as he woke more fully. This vacation's gonna be great! He hasn't been to any mainland for over a year, and now he gets to go with his best friend, his roommate, Evan and Lulu. Now that he thought about it, he wondered why Lulu came at all. A female would just get in the way of four guys and their fun. But nobody else seemed to mind, and in all actuality, Mikau's glad that she's coming along.  
  
The ocean floor suddenly dropped away in front of the school of Zoras and they were hit with a blast of warm water.  
  
"Nayru's mercy, what was that?!" Lulu exclaimed, recoiling at the uncomfortable heat. Evan and Mikau both rushed to her side, but the Zorian Hero veered off sheepishly, letting the eel-Zora escort her.  
  
Japas swam deeper into the heat and did a loop-de-loop. "C'mon, it's just water from the volcanic vents. We're passing over the Chaotic Rim." He lead the rest of them over the underwater canyon, although it was tiring work for everyone. Warm water distorts a Zora's sense of current and visibility, but once they passed over the Rim, they were only a mile from the village of Veritora.  
  
"Finally!" Evan announced, spreading his arms wide as he stepped onto the warm, dry sand. "The fishing village of Veritora, gateway to the oceans, population 4000!"  
  
"When did you become the expert?" Japas asked rhetorically. He shook his head free of lingering water droplets, splashing them all over everyone else.  
  
The five Zoras adjusted quickly to the airside enviorment, folding in their fins and relaxing their tails. The sun and wind dried up any remaining moisture on their rubbery bodies, forcing them to retreat under a shady tree while they rested from the journey. Tijo had a harder time on land than any of the others because Bottom-feeders are simply not built for surface movement.  
  
Mikau breathed in deeply from his lungs, finding the air refreshing. It's not the same as the moist, fishy air of Zora homes right over the ocean. There's a multitude of exotic scents from the airside plants and animals, but the smell that stuck out the most was of fire, an element that Zoras rarely use. Someone's cooking something nearby, probably in one of the village huts.  
  
Actually, the Zorian Hero felt literally, and proverbially, like a fish out of water. As far as he could tell, out of his four friends, he's the Zora with the least exposure to life on land. Both Evan and Japas looked comfortable on the sand, the former radiating his ever-present confidence and the latter actually standing out in the sun, protected by the fins on his head. Mikau knew that Lulu had visited many airside cities and Tijo probably also had his share of traveling abroad.  
  
"So, what should we do first?" Tijo wondered aloud.  
  
"Breakfast." "Lunch." Mikau and Japas said simultaneously. They looked at each other in mild surprise, then to the rest of the group, searching for approval.  
  
Evan and Tijo stared at them increduously. Haven't they had enough to eat on the way here? But Lulu smiled at Japas and Mikau. "Sounds great!" She turned to the other two accusingly. "Didn't you consider the fact that I haven't eaten anything on the way here? How thoughtless of you guys."  
  
Evan coughed and nervously scratched his tail, but Tijo was smoother than that. "Ah, but I thought you were simply trying to maintain your fantastic figure." The Bottom-feeder said pleasantly. Lulu couldn't think of a retort fast enough, so before she could, Tijo announced to the others, "Alright! You heard the lady, it's time for some grub!"  
  
"Actually, I don't think we'll be able to find any grubs in Veritora." Evan mentioned casually as they neared the city. "Most humans have qualms against eating insects, last I heard."  
  
Tijo frowned. "It's just a saying, fish! Must you contradict everything I say? Goddesses, it's becoming a bad habit of yours."  
  
"More like a hobby." Japas whispered loudly to Mikau. Lulu also heard and she laughed.  
  
The sand gave way to rocks, then to grassy packed dirt, then to the cobblestones of city streets. The airside buildings seemed to be bulkier and heavier than underwater buildings to compensate for the heavier gravity. And their doors were located only on the ground since the inhabitants can't simply swim up to the second level of a house. What a restricted life these landgoers live, able to move in only two dimensions.  
  
The seaside villagers didn't pay the Zoras much attention; they have many Zora traders living in Veritora. But Mikau spent a good deal of time staring at all the different shapes and sizes of people, a variety of which he hadn't seen in years. He was especially awestruck by a large Goron lumbering among the colorful crowd of humans, who parted like water to make way for the behemoth.  
  
Evan nudged the Zorian Hero. "Don't stare. It's not polite."  
  
Mikau winced at his error and smiled apologetically. Lulu suddenly grabbed Evan's arm. "Hey, that place looks good! Let's go there!" She pointed to a wooden building painted brick red with a 'fork and knife' sign hanging over the front door. Chatter and laughter, as well as the delicious smell of cooking food, wafted from the inside.  
  
Evan shrugged in agreement and let himself be dragged into a bustling restaurant with the other Zoras in tow. Lulu picked out a table and once seated, immediately began reading the menu. She must be pretty hungry. The boys she was with all displayed some degree of guilt on their faces for being so inconsiderate.  
  
Hungry himself, though he had just eaten, Japas picked up a menu and mulled it over, running a finger from the top of the page to the bottom as he read. "Hey, an egg and bacon sandwich! That sounds pretty good."  
  
"Mmmmmm. That does sounds good." Tijo commented. "I want a honey raisin cake and an order of smoked salmon."  
  
"I suggest you don't order any seafood." Evan said. "We can eat that stuff all the time in the ocean. No point in getting it here. Pick something more exotic."  
  
Before long, everyone ordered what they wanted and they sat idly waiting for the food to come in. There were a lot of customers coming in and out of the restaurant, and at one point, Japas turned to look at some people who just entered. He abrubtly turned forward again, lips pulled back in a snarl.  
  
Mikau looked up quizzically from his meal. "What is it, Japas?" He asked.  
  
Japas stared at his food and was careful not to raise his head. "Don't look now, but you see those guys that just walked in? They're from the Black Nulia."  
  
From the corner of his eye, Mikau watched the eight or so Zoras seat themselves at a table. They were a rough looking bunch with shady velvet eyes and dry skin from living airside so long. All of them had blackened fin or tail tips. A few people hastily finished their meals and left the restaurant rather than risking conflict with members of this gang.  
  
"What should we do?" Lulu asked anxiously. She was worried, but still calm (or hungry) enough to put another chip in her mouth.  
  
Evan clicked his tongue twice, thinking. "I think we should stay and finish off our food. But we don't want to provoke them. Hey Japas, what do you think we should do?"  
  
Japas looked up in surprise. He didn't expect Evan to ask him for his opinion, especially since he associates with Crybax gang members. He knows that the eel-Zora was already biased against him because of that little fact. Japas hoped the Black Nulia wouldn't try to cause any trouble because of him. If they do, what would Mikau and the others think of him?  
  
"Well, I'll tell you what I know. The Black Nulia are based here in Veritora and they live more on land than we do. They're traders who do sea- to-land business or the children of traders. As a mark of their group, they burn the tips of their fins and tails black, hence their name." The other Zoras shuddered. Getting a flame wound is very, very unusual and painful for members of their aquatic race. Japas continued. "They're known for alcohol related incidents and for starting fights with other rival gangs. Other than that, they're not as bad as most people think. So yeah, I think we should play it cool."  
  
"Alright, then." Evan took a casual sip of his drink. "How are your potatoes, Lulu?"  
  
"Huh? Fine, I guess." She ate another chip to comfirm this fact. It was obvious that Evan was trying to get everyone to relax by changing the subject. It worked rather well, actually. Before long, everyone was chatting freely again, having almost completely forgotten about the Black Nulia. Everyone except Mikau. Maybe it was his imagination, but he noticed how some of those Zoras stole glances in his direction. One of them even pointed directly at him, then turned to say something to his friends. This made him so nervous that his arm blades started stiffening on their own.  
  
Evan and the others had just finished their meal and were waiting for the bill when the Black Nulia made their move. One of them grabbed a spare chair and sat between Mikau and Tijo. The Bottom-feeder shuffled away discreetly while the Zorian Hero had the guts to appear annoyed at the intrusion. Japas, on the other side of Mikau, tensed himself for action and Evan shifted closer to Lulu, protectively.  
  
"Hi!" The gang member said cheerfully to Mikau. She was rather thin and non-threatening compared to the other Black Nulias, and young. Her damaged fins would probably never reach the flowing elegance of maturity, although the rest of her spoke of a child of maybe sixteen years or more. She had rather tasteful chiseled features and a beaming smile that wouldn't go away.  
  
"Uh, hi." Mikau answered. He tried to relax, seeing that this Zora was only a girl, but felt the eyes of her fellows on him. Sending her was obviously a calculated move on their part ment to put him at ease. His blades lengthened even more.  
  
"I couldn't help but notice your paint job!" She said with genuine interest. She pointed to the colorful markings on Mikau's head and right arm. "Those tattoos help you stand out in a crowd, don't they! I have to ask: what exactly do they represent? Did it hurt to get them?"  
  
"Not really. They actually fade away after a few months." Mikau was now more confused than annoyed or frightened. He held his arm in front of him and looked at it from different angles. "The body paint is in a traditional Zorian Hero pattern. Most of the blue parts represent the eternal ocean and the red is the blood spilt by my ancestors in protecting the Zoras. Each picture tells its own unique story."  
  
The Zora's eyes and mouth now consisted of three large 'O's of amazement. "You're a Zorian Hero?!" She said incredulously. "That is so cool! I've never seen a Zorian Hero before! Hey, Pertuous, have you ever seen one?"  
  
"Nope. Never in my life."  
  
Mikau whirled around in his seat and found himself staring at the 'Pertuous' she was addressing. Staring at his protruding stomach, actually. The guy was about as tall as Mikau if they were both standing up, but he could easily be twice the Zorian Hero's weight. Judging by his tail and shoulders, he was obviously a Sleek, but he could easily be mistaken for a Bottom-feeder from a distance. His arms and legs were bulging with the muscle that it takes to hold him up on land.  
  
"Hey, there. My name's Pertuous." He held out a hand, expecting Mikau to shake it.  
  
"Name's Mikau." The Zorian Hero put on his best social smile and took the hand in his own. He was rewarded with a crushing handshake that left his hand numb for a while.  
  
"Oh! And my name's Wavvern!" The girl chirped from behind him. Both she and Pertuous completely ignored Mikau's companions.  
  
The waitress came and gave Evan the bill. He paid and stood up as if he was about to leave. The others did so as well, and waited for Mikau to do the same. Japas coughed.  
  
"Uh, it's nice meeting you guys, but I gotta go." Mikau began. "My friends and I are visiting Veritora and we still have a lot to see."  
  
"Then why don't we show you around, Mikau?" Pertuous put an arm on the Zorian Hero's shoulder as if they were old friends. Mikau sagged under the weight. "After all, I live 'round here. I can show you all the sights. How about it?"  
  
"Yeah!" Wavvern cried before Mikau could answer. She pulled him away with surprising strength, making Pertuous lose his balance. "C'mon! I want to introduce you to all my friends!"  
  
Mikau wasn't able to pull away from Wavvern when all of her 'friends' stood up to meet the Zorian Hero. They ushered him out of the restaurant, away from his friends, and he couldn't do anything to escape the Black Nulia without provoking them. Mikau took one last glance back at Japas, Lulu, Evan and Tijo before losing sight of them for good.  
  
End of Chapter 20  
  
Can't talk. Busy playing Wind Waker. Well, replaying it, actually. Dang it, I so wanted to somehow stuff the Rito species into Ocean Eternal, but due to circumstances in WW beyond my control, I am unable to. Don't know what I'm talking about? Heh heh heh, too bad, it's a Wind Waker spoiler. 


	21. Earrings

Chapter 21  
  
To him the Power to run and ride  
  
To him the Wisdom to sail the tides  
  
To him the Courage to grace the skies  
  
Let he be immortal  
  
The Hero of Time  
  
The Black Nulia formed a neat crowd around Mikau, ushering him along the narrow streets filled with vendors peddling their wares. Every time Mikau tried to get away discreetly, one of the Zoras would block his path or make him look at another item being sold in the kiosks. They didn't act impolite or intimidating to the Zorian Hero. Mikau almost wished they would, because it would give him an excuse to force his escape.  
  
"Hey Mikau!" Wavvern called, beaconing to him. "What do you think of these?" She held a pair of sapphire crystal earrings to her ears and smiled, awaiting Mikau's approval.  
  
"They're nice." The Zorian Hero said absently, sparing her a glance.  
  
"Then you should take them." She held one of Mikau's hands and dropped the gems into his open palm.  
  
"What the...! I can't wear these!" He exclaimed. He held his arm outwards, trying to push the earrings back. "I mean, I don't even have my ears pierced. And these are cut to a woman's style."  
  
Wavvern laughed. "No, I don't expect you to wear them! But at such a great deal, who can resist? Custom cut ocean sapphires, the same material the Zora's Sapphire is made of. Give them to a girlfriend or something; you don't have to wear them. It's a rare find." Her eyes flickered meaningfully. But the Zorian Hero completely missed the gesture.  
  
Mikau shook his head. "No, no. I can never afford them." As soon as the words escaped his lips, he regretted it. If the Black Nulia were interested in his rupees, they may no longer treat him so courteously if they knew he had little money. On the other hand, they might leave him alone.  
  
But none of them seemed to notice his careless words. Wavvern's expression could be described as irritated or bemused. At least she didn't appear hostile. Either way, she took Zorian Hero's wrist and dragged him off to another vendor. Mikau happened to glance over his shoulder, and saw a flash of Zora fin disappearing into the crowd. It was free of any scorch marks. Mikau felt a surge of relief for it must be one of his friends following him. It was good to know that they haven't abandoned him in his hour of need.  
  
Well, that hour turned to several, until the sun began to set over the western mountains and even the other members of the Black Nulia grew tired of Wavvern's shopping spree. After all that time, she only bought an eelspine belt, which she fancied was similar to Mikau's own ancestral one. Mikau himself bought a briquette bake, which tasted like it had rocks in it (which it did, being a Goron dish). So it was a welcome relief for everyone when they decided to stop by the nearest pub for dinner.  
  
The pub was a quaint wooden shack squeezed between two larger buildings, dimly lit with candles of waxfruit. Smells of roasting food, ale and human sweat hung heavily in the air, as well as the smoke from pipes. The pub was crowded with people coming in for a brew after a hard day's work, but they moved aside for the Black Nulia, and the gang easily found a table for their use. Above the shoutings and laughter, a small blues band strummed out a rhythmic tune, subtle and relaxing. Mikau found the music the most pleasant thing in the whole bar, even better than the scrumptious food that was presented to him and his neglected stomach. Pertuous ordered and paid for the meal, which consisted of fish and shellfish that Mikau was familiar with, but cooked in ways that were foreign to him. To have his seafood skinned, boned, gutted, garnished and cooked tender made his mouth water. If it were raw, he'd have to tear at the coarse meat with his canines, and perhaps risk a spine lodged in his throat. But he could probably swallow this fish whole!  
  
He stuffed the entire fish in his mouth and chewed twice before swallowing. Immediately his eyes began watering and he coughed violently, his shoulders spasming. He put both hands over his half-opened mouth, laboring to breathe with both his gills and lungs.  
  
"What the...Mikau! Are you alright?" Wavvern exclaimed, slapping him on the back. "Pertuous! What the hell did you give him?"  
  
The larger Zora smiled in amusement. "I gave him the usual. Cajun flounder with jalapeno spread." He shrugged helplessly. "I can't help it if the Zorian Hero can't stand spicy food."  
  
"Ooohhh!" Wavvern laughed and held a glass mug in front of Mikau. "Silly fish! You're not supposed to eat that sort of stuff in one bite! You'll scorch your tongue! Here, drink this."  
  
The suffering Zora reached for the mug with shaky hands and downed its contents without pausing. He grimaced as he realized that he was drinking some sort of beer, but he didn't stop until the burning sensation in his throat was quenched. Finally, he slammed his hand with the mug on the table and exhaled loudly. The others of the gang were laughing.  
  
"So how did it taste?" Pertuous asked with a wry grin.  
  
"It was..." Mikau stopped and cleared his throat. His voice was hoarse. "It was rather good!" The whole table laughed even louder, and Mikau couldn't help but laugh with them. Someone ordered him another plate of equally spiced food, which he ate more carefully this time. Yes, Mikau liked hot food as much as the next guy, but hadn't seen enough of it in his life to recognize it all the time. He was presented with another mug of beer, and he drank that as well, finding it not quite so bad after chugging down a litre of the stuff before. The band started playing popular jazz beats and some people started dancing. Mikau was watching them, tapping his feet to the music when he suddenly noticed Evan and Japas sitting at a table in a far corner, keeping an eye on him. The absense of his friends hit him hard, and he felt guilty for even attempting to have fun without them. They were probably worried sick about him. He had to get out of here somehow. In a flash of inspiriation, he came up with a brilliant idea of how to escape.  
  
"Hey Wavvern," Mikau said. The female Zora turned from another gangmember whom she had been talking loudly with. She blinked in confusion at the Zorian Hero, her eyes glassy, having consumed a fair amount of alcohol herself. Mikau swallowed. "You wanna, y'know, dance?"  
  
"Oh! Okay!" She grinned ear to ear, clearly delighted. Mikau took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Both of them stood there for a moment in hesitation, neither really familiar with dancing. They started imitating what other people were doing, but then found it easier to just move with the music in whatever way they felt like. They both stumbled several times, not really able to keep their balance. Mikau found the music too loud so close to its source, and it made the small migrane he had been surpressing painful in degree.  
  
The first song ended and the crowd applauded, shouting out requests for more of their favorite music. Mikau bowed and Wavvern did a Zorian curtsy, which involved more of a movement of the arms to display the elegance of a woman's fins rather than the flow of her dress. But Wavvern's fins were burnt and stunted.  
  
"Hey, thanks for a great time today, Wavvern." Mikau said. "But it's getting late. I have to go now."  
  
"What? Wait..." Wavvern looked around and realized that none of her gangmates were around to push this Zorian Hero back in line. She tried to hold his hand but he was already moving away. "Wait..." She watched the Zorian Hero leave, trying to grasp with her half-lucid mind why he wouldn't stay. Once he reached a safe distance, Mikau waved goodbye to her and quickly walked out the door.  
  
Once outside, he ran to hide in the shadows of an alley, webbed feet slapping on the rough cobblestones. Still keeping the light of the pub in his sights, Mikau leaned against a wall, chest heaving, not used to running airside in the harsh, cold air. His head began to throb achingly, as if the cold and the silence were physically pounding at him. He put his hands at his temples.  
  
He heard the sound of a door swinging shut and saw two Zorian figures exit the pub. They exchanged a few muted words then started walking towards him. Mikau shrank deeper into the shadows, too miserable to try and fight but hoping they would overlook him. His fins began expanding anyways in response to his nervousness. But when they came near enough, Mikau could see that the two figures were actually Japas and Evan. He waved at them to come over.  
  
Japas was the first to see him and rushed over. "Hey man, you okay?" He said softly with genuine concern. "You look like crap. What did they do to you?" Mikau's skin was paler than usual; his shoulders sagged as if the strings holding them up had been cut. Japas put Mikau's arm around his shoulders and helped him stand; he appeared to be unable to walk by himself.  
  
Mikau's eyes blurred at the sudden movement and his stomach did a turn. "Ugh... I... think I had too much to drink..."  
  
Japas laughed, the mischievous gleam returning to whatever was visible of his eyes. "Aw, you lightweight! We were watching and you had, what, two mugs? That's enough to take you out?"  
  
Mikau grinned and wacked the side of Japas's head with his tail. "And spicy food. There's none of that underwater."  
  
Japas batted the intrusive tail with his own. "Hey! Quit playing tailsie with me!"  
  
"Lulu and Tijo are waiting." Evan said bluntly. He was looking about nervously, worried about any of the Black Nulia coming from the bar. His fists were slightly curled in case anything comes his way.  
  
Japas nodded mutely and the three of them headed towards the beach. Around the alleys and streets that seemed to stretch out forever, they finally reached the fringe of the ocean. A few blue figures dotted the sandy beach, those being other Zoras that decided to camp out or had no where else to go. Mikau vainly tried to find Tijo and Lulu among the figures, but the latter collided with him before he even saw her.  
  
"Mikau! Are you okay??" Lulu cried, her arms wrapped tightly around Zorian Hero in a vicious hug. If Mikau was feeling sick before, now he was suddenly exceedingly embarrassed. Because Lulu's body felt so...soft! against his skin. He knew he should react somehow, and ended up with both arms akwardly around her waist. He couldn't quite figure out what to say. He felt all the blood rush to his cheeks.  
  
Lulu suddenly backed away to arm's length, frowning in concern. "What happened? You smell like cheap whiskey."  
  
"He had a little too much to drink." Evan reported. "I think he's sick for it."  
  
"Oh!" Lulu's eyes widened in understanding. "No wonder. He's looking a bit purple." At that remark, Mikau blushed even more. "Mikau, why don't you go for a swim? It might clear your head a little. We can talk about what happened tomorrow."  
  
"That's... a good idea." Mikau would absolutely relish a swim right now, after so much time on land. He longed to feel his fins slicing the water.  
  
Evan added, "You should also try to find some sargasso to eat. Yes, it tastes like medicine, but that's because it is."  
  
Mikau grimaced at the very thought of the taste, but obediently stumbled towards the welcoming ocean. He fell facefirst into the surf and let the cool waves refresh him while the tide carried him out to sea. Japas followed him soon after, making sure he wasn't going to be easy prey for a shark or anything. It's not safe to drink and dive, after all. Japas kept a fair distance away, aware that his friend needed some space and didn't feeling like talking. The Zorian Hero instantly felt more relaxed when he began sliding through the water, his gills exhaling the alcohol out of his blood faster than lungs could. He found some of that awful sargasso weed and choked it down, hoping to keep it down while his stomach was contorting in new and innovative ways.  
  
When he was feeling more or less himself again, the Zorain Hero leaped gracefully out of the water and rolled onto his feet. He shook off the sand clinging to his skin, and most of it ended up on a protesting Japas who emerged from the ocean just behind him. The others were already asleep on the beach just below the tideline. Mikau plopped himself beside them and exhaled deeply, feeling as if he could just melt into the sand from exhaustion.  
  
What a day it has been. He felt like he could sleep forever if he simply closed his eyes and let the dreams take him away. But before he did so, he gazed up at the cloudless night and blinked curiously up at the stars far above. They winked back at him, as if they harboured some sort of secret he wasn't aware of. Mikau put his hands behind his tail, pillowing his head, and shuffled slightly so the sand would mold better to his form. He suddenly wondered whether the sky was actually bigger than the sea. What a strange thought. Of course the ocean was bigger! Everyone knows that. But every once in a while, the Zorian Hero would have his doubts...  
  
Mikau woke up with a start and irritably flicked off the sandflea which had been gnawing at his ankle. The offending insect burrowed back into the sand from which it came, disappearing without a trace. The Zorian Hero yawned and stretched out his tail which was sore from supporting the weight of his head for so long. He couldn't even remember falling asleep, but from position of the moon and the tides, it was obviously some time deep into the night. He was pleased that he wasn't experiencing more of a hangover. In fact, he's feeling great. The ocean wind was pleasantly cool to his skin, still warm from the summer but not yet the biting cold of the winter. He heard snippets of conversation muffled by the murmuring of the tides and turned to see the town of Veritora still active at this time of night. Some of the busier streets were lit with lamps of fire or iridescent fish, peddlers were still hawking their wares. Mikau settled down again and closed his eyes. A muted sigh beside him made him open them again and try to locate its source.  
  
He found Lulu sleeping contently to his right, facing him, her lips quivering incomprehensible dreamwords. A foot's distance seperated the two of them. If Mikau tried to roll back even further, he would roll right onto Japas to his left. But he didn't really want to move. He stared at Lulu's face, caressed by the faint light of the moon and shadows ever shifting from the luminescence of the sea. His eyes ran along the pale contours of her face, from her delicate cheekbones to the gentle taper of her chin. Her eyelids flickered from a slight breeze, and Mikau was afraid she would wake up. She only sighed in response and Mikau breathed in the scent of her breath, salty like the sea breeze, but warm. He smiled, eyes dreamily half- closed. He could just stay here forever.  
  
Lulu rolled onto her back and Mikau noticed her ears were pierced. She was wearing glass dewdrop earrings, and the Zorian Hero was momentarily surprised that she wasn't wearing anything more luxurious. After all, her mother is a famous songstress; there ought to be plenty of money in her family to spend on beautiful accessories. Sure, the dewdrops were pretty in their own respect, but not deserving of Lulu's quiet elegance.  
  
Mikau's thoughts turned to the sapphire crystal earrings he saw earlier that day. They would be perfect for her. He could already see her with the sparkling gems hanging from her finned ears. And how happy she would be once he gave them to her! Mikau quietly sat up and opened a hidden compartment in his belt, withdrawing a handful of rupees. He grimaced as he counted the money, realizing that he could buy the earrings only if he sacrificed a good portion of his food cash for this month. As a result, he'll be spending a lot of his free time swimming out to the open sea to catch his dinners. Oh well. Nobody ever said life was easy.  
  
The Zorian Hero got up, careful not to wake any of his friends. The sand helped mute his footsteps as he went back to the alleys full of vendors. He kept his eye out for any reminant Black Nulia, but they were probably sleeping off the effects of whatever they ate last night. He eventually found the booth he and Wavvern visited earlier in the day. It was somewhat difficult to find the vendor which was now illuminated by candles rather than sunlight. A Deku Scrub stood behind the table, calling out in a loud voice, trying to convince pedestrians to examine his wares.  
  
"Ah, young Zora! What brings you to my humble shop on such a fine night?" The Scrub welcomed in a low, squeeky voice, smiling with his tube of a nose. His beady eyes focused on Mikau's belt and neckband. "Perhaps I can interest you in a bone choker? It would nicely replace your leather neckband and it would match your belt as well." He brought out a hoop of bone intricately carved to resemble the jaw of a shark. If Mikau wore it, it would seem as if he had smaller, toothy mouth on his neck. "This choker was sculpted from a single piece of whale bone by a master carver." The Deku purred. "It's guaranteed never to stain yellow or slow down your swimming!"  
  
Mikau smiled but shook his head. "Actually, I'm here for some earrings."  
  
"Earrings, you say?" The Scrub looked skeptically at Mikau's ears, which were floppy and untrimmed and not suited to jewelery. But he certainly wasn't going to point that out to a potential buyer. "Of course! I have wide selection." He dug out an ornate box from his bag and opened it, exposing its dazzling contents to the candlelight. He placed the box on the table and daintily picked up a of glittering, leaf-shaped gems, holding them up to where his ears might be. "These, although appearing to be emerald, are actually crystals dyed green using a process considered a trade secret by those who practice it. They are my personal favorites. I gave a pair to my wife and when she wears it, she seems to have a sparkling, healthy head of foliage!"  
  
"Uh huh." Mikau barely listened, although he was sure the story would be very interesting. His eyes followed his finger as it traced down the rows of earrings. Then with a triumphant "Aha!" he picked up the sapphire gems he had been looking for. "These are the ones I want!"  
  
"Ooooh." The Deku's eyes grew round and he nodded sagely. "You have very good taste." He didn't need to say anything more to promote his item. Mikau held the earrings up to the candle flame and watched the play of lights reflected off the gems' surfaces. They sparkled bits of red and yellow, but primarily green and blue. And the colors changed often with the sapphires hanging easily from their hooks, dangling with each subtle movement and breath of wind. Once could become mesmerized by the earrings' elegance, that is, if Lulu's face and voice didn't captivate you first.  
  
"So how much is it?" The Zora asked.  
  
The Deku rubbed his hands gleefully. "60 rupees for you, sir."  
  
"60...!" Mikau's shoulders sagged. That was much more than what he had originally expected. "Uh... How about 40?"  
  
The salesman put a hand to his heart as if the thought shocked him. "But sir! Can you live with the knowledge that you are robbing an honest working man? 55!"  
  
Mikau sighed. "46. That's as much as I can offer. Because that's all I have." He put the earrings back on the table.  
  
The Deku frowned, stroking his leafy mustache. Then he smiled and picked up the sapphires. "Then 36 it is!" He shook Mikau's hand, exchanging the gems in the process.  
  
"Wait, but..." Mikau began.  
  
"36." The Scrub repeated, cutting him off.  
  
Mikau fumbled to withdraw the rupees and gratefully handed them to the merchant. "Thank you!" He said, not knowing what else to say.  
  
"Don't mention it." The Deku replied cheerfully with a wink. "I was once your age, and I understand how money was tight. But I need to start targeting Zora customers anyways. Remember, tell all your friends about Uku Deku's Awesome Accessories!"  
  
"Yes sir!" Mikau, very happy with his luck, went back to rejoin his friends on the surf. They were probably still sleeping and wouldn't even know he had left. Meanwhile, Uku the Deku took off his merchant cap and wiped his brow. He sighed deeply. He was sure that one of these days, his generosity was going to cause him to go bankrupt.  
  
End of Chapter 21  
  
There has been quite a bit of delay prior to this chapter being posted, and there are a number of reasons contributing to this. The biggest reason is that I have been occupied with another fanfic, which I am more inspired to write. (Stupid me. I knew I shouldn't have started another story before I finished this one...) Then I got the Zelda collector's edition and started playing Majora's Mask again. And then I became re-inspired. Unfortunately, I don't think I can manage a frequent update schedule with this fanfic like I used to, but I will finish it! Even if it kills me, I will one day finish Ocean Eternal!! 


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